Cheri Pierson Yecke was born on February 5, 1955. She earned a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Hawaii, a master's degree in teaching from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Virginia.

Her career in education policy began in Virginia, where she served on the State Board of Education from 1995 to 1998 under Governor George Allen, followed by roles as Deputy Secretary of Education from 1998 to 2001 and Secretary of Education from 2001 to 2002 under Governor Jim Gilmore.

In 2002, Cheri Pierson Yecke joined the U.S. Department of Education under President George W. Bush as Director of Teacher Quality and Public School Choice, later detailed to the White House as a senior advisor for USA Freedom Corps. 

Appointed Minnesota Commissioner of Education by Governor Tim Pawlenty in January 2003, she served until May 2004 amid political tensions with the DFL-controlled Senate, which forced her out in a party-line vote.

During her tenure, she proposed including "Teach the Controversy" language in science standards, drawing criticism from intelligent design opponents who accused her of promoting creationism, and faced nepotism allegations over her husband's state job appointment.

Cheri Pierson Yecke then became a senior fellow at the Center of the American Experiment think tank until 2005, briefly ran for Congress in Minnesota's Sixth District, and accepted Chancellor of K-12 Education in Florida under Governor Jeb Bush from October 2005 to December 2007, resigning after losing a bid for state education commissioner.

From 2008 to 2015, she served as Dean of Graduate Programs and professor at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where she was considered for the presidency. Now retired, she has authored books including The War Against Excellence: The Rising Tide of Mediocrity in America's Middle Schools (2003) and Mayhem in the Middle (2005), focusing on middle school reform.