Shannon’s Garfield (she/her) is a leader committed to educational equity in schools grounded in unconditional love and deep belief in the potential of every single child. She serves as the Chief Executive Officer of SELF (Special Education Leader Fellowship) a non-profit organization that partners with schools to significantly improve the education of children with disabilities working shoulder-to-shoulder with educators across the country.
Before leading SELF, Shannon’s leadership journey included nearly a decade at Achievement First (AF) where she served as Senior Director of Special Services supporting nearly forty schools and Assistant Superintendent, where she managed middle and high schools in Connecticut and New York. During her tenure, she managed several successful turnarounds in Achievement First Network by coaching principals to lead breakthrough results in student achievement, student culture and investment, family satisfaction, and staff organizational culture. She began her career in K-12 education as a high school special education teacher in Philadelphia.
Shannon holds a BA and BFA from the University of Michigan, a post-bacc from Penn State University, a MEd from Holy Family University, and an MFA from Temple University, where she also served as an adjunct professor. Shannon is an alum of the Leverage Leadership Institute and continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member at Relay Graduate School of Education. Born and raised in Detroit and as a first-generation college graduate, Shannon believes deeply in educational equity. She currently resides in New Haven, Connecticut, with her husband and 15-month-old son.