Shawna McCurdie Fagbuyi is a seasoned education leader with nearly three decades of experience advancing equity, inclusion, and excellence in public education. A first-generation Guyanese American raised in Miami, Paterson, and Brooklyn, she brings both lived experience and deep professional expertise to improving outcomes for historically underserved students.
Throughout her career, Shawna has served as a teacher, instructional coach, principal, and district administrator, leading school improvement efforts and expanding access to inclusive, high-quality learning environments across multiple states. As a principal, she designed and implemented one of the county’s most in-demand autism programs and was recognized by the Maryland General Assembly for her contributions to education and community improvement. Her leadership has also advanced initiatives in gifted education, arts integration, Title I reform, and Community Schools.
In her most recent district-level role, Shawna oversaw a network of 23 Community Schools and managed a budget exceeding $15 million. In this capacity, she strategically directed resources to improve academic outcomes and address health and wellness, expanded learning opportunities, and family and community engagement—core pillars of the Community School strategy to remove barriers to student success.
Shawna is deeply committed to supporting school leaders in developing culturally responsive family engagement practices. She is the author of The Virtual Parent University Playbook, a nationally utilized resource that has helped school systems strengthen family partnerships during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, administrative credentials through New Leaders at Harvard University, and is completing her doctorate in Education Leadership and Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her doctoral research focuses on family engagement as a critical driver of student success.
A proud mother of three college scholar-athlete artists, Shawna currently serves as a Coach for the Center for High School Success at Stand for Children in Arizona, where she supports school leaders through a systems-thinking lens and culturally responsive leadership to improve outcomes for high school students.