Shannon Murtagh

Shannon Murtagh began her work in public education teaching in Washington state, where she also got her start in advocacy as a political organizer. For nearly a decade, she led research and policy initiatives at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, focusing on the intersection of parent empowerment, school choice, school autonomy, and educational equity. Then, as an independent consultant, Shannon played a key role in enhancing the strategic vision and direction of various organizations, with a continued emphasis on working with K-12 school districts.

She began her journey with FCP in 2023, initially conducting research on place-based initiatives and community dashboards. In 2025, she took on the role of executive director, leading the charge to advance FCP’s vision of making philanthropic investments in outcomes focused communities that are achieving tangible results.

Shannon holds an MPA from the University of Washington and a BS from Yale University. Based in Lexington, Massachusetts she’s the parent of three public school students, volunteers constantly (from sitting on boards to coaching sports), is an avid baker, and bikes everywhere.