Shannon Garfield

As Vice President and Head of Connecticut Programs, Garfield leads The Mind Trust CT’s school and sector quality and talent pipeline work, and will partner closely with the Executive Director to build the systems behind Connecticut’s growing portfolio of charter schools and fellowships.

Before joining The Mind Trust, Garfield served as Chief Executive Officer of the Special Education Leader Fellowship (SELF), a national nonprofit focused on strengthening special education systems and developing school leaders. During her tenure, she led organizational growth, expanded the organization’s national reach, and advanced evidence-based approaches to improving outcomes for students with disabilities. Earlier in her career, Garfield spent nearly a decade at Achievement First Schools, rising to Regional Superintendent, where she led school improvement efforts across a portfolio of schools, developed school leaders, and drove robust improvements in academic achievement, student culture, and organizational health.

Garfield is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania, with a research focus on postsecondary disability access. She holds a Master of Education in Special Education from Holy Family University, a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography from Temple University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Michigan.

She serves on the Achievement First Connecticut Charter Schools Board and the EdResearch for Action Board at Brown University’s Annenberg Institute.