Paula R. Shannon

Member / Tulsa Public Schools

Paula Shannon’s 25-year career in public education spans three states and includes experience as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, curriculum director, and chief academic officer. She currently serves as deputy superintendent at Tulsa Public Schools, providing strategic leadership to the district’s portfolio of schools. Prior to moving to Tulsa, Paula held senior leadership roles at the Syracuse City School District, Achievement First, and the Providence Public School District.

Paula believes that a high-quality education is integral to the foundation of a strong democracy, critical to combating poverty, and a fundamental civil right for all people. She works to bring that vision to fruition by fostering highly effective and empowered teams who share her belief that even the impossible becomes possible through investing in people, designing with the students and communities that we serve, and being relentlessly learner-focused. Paula commits daily to transforming public education systems into places that position educators as learning engineers and unleash the potential of little and big people alike.

Paula holds a bachelor of arts in government and international relations from the University of Notre Dame, a master of education with a focus on curriculum and instruction from Lesley University, and a master in educational leadership from the University of Rhode Island. Paula currently serves on the board of directors of City Year Tulsa. She is also a Pahara Fellow and member of Transcend Education’s Learner-Centered Leadership Lab.

In her spare time, Paula enjoys new adventures with her fiance, Nicole, and spending time with Leo and Harry, her two Standard Poodles. A fun fact about Paula is that she loves her cowboy boots.