Shelby Legel

Senior Program Director

Shelby is a former teacher and lifelong learner. Starting her career through Teach For America in her home state of Michigan, Shelby spent two years teaching 9th grade Algebra in Detroit. After two years in the classroom and seeing the direct impact that funding and access have on student achievement, particularly for low-income and minority students, Shelby moved to Washington, DC to expand her experiences beyond the classroom. She spent time working in the philanthropic sector and developed a deeper understanding of funding equity and financing in education before being called back into schools.

She most recently worked in a DC Public Charter School on their operations team, supporting behind the scenes of the school in everything from security and facilities to food service and business operations. It was in this role that she learned about CPA and the value of collective purchasing power. Shelby holds a masters degree from American University in Sociology (certificates: nutrition education, social research) and from the University of Michigan in Education, Urban Pedagogy.