Shane Donahue, Putnam High School, Putnam Public Schools
Shane joined the CT Noyce Math Teacher Leaders program in 2024. A devoted teacher and a tireless community advocate, Shane Donahue has spent the past 11 years teaching mathematics at Putnam High School (PHS) in Putnam, Connecticut. Since earning his Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics, Shane has taught every mathematics course offered at PHS, including dual enrollment courses in calculus, statistics, economics, and manufacturing. Shane was instrumental in establishing Putnam High School’s dual enrollment classes, as he coordinated student enrollment, instructor certification, and initiated the relationship with the University of Connecticut.
Shane is highly committed to educational leadership and student success. As Putnam’s District Technology Coach, Shane leads professional learning initiatives and supports faculty across the district in effectively integrating educational technology into instruction. Shane’s leadership extends beyond academics and into the broader community. Through his work with the Putnam High School civic engagement program, he connects students with local leaders and organizes community-focused events. Shane’s multi-year partnership with the Quiet Corner Garden Club enables him to teach students about native Connecticut plants, organize students in the removal of invasive species, and plant native plants on the high school campus. In his work, Shane supports students’ relationships with each other and their relationship with their environment, emphasizing the importance of giving back to the community. Shane values students not only as mathematical thinkers and doers, but also for their unique capabilities as young citizens of the world and agents of change.
Shane’s own desire to change things at the system’s level led him to focus his independent leadership project, Charting Our Course, on a multi-year mathematics programming plan designed to foster equitable mathematics education in Putnam Public Schools.
He shared this work at the 2025 Alliance District Symposium as part of a day-long convening of Alliance Districts to focus on how to improve mathematics education for all Connecticut students. Incollaboration with other Noyce Fellows, Shane developed the webinar “Math Pathways to College and Career Readiness,” a video that advocates for accessible, relevant, and rigorous mathematics pathways for all students. The webinar is posted on the Connecticut State Department of Education website to help inform educators, parents and guardians, school and state leaders on what mathematics pathways are, why they matter for equitable education, and how they can be implemented with fidelity. Shane co-presented this work at the 2026 Associated Teachers of Mathematics in Connecticut (ATOMIC) Conference in New Haven.
Through his dedication to students, colleagues, and community partnerships, Shane continues to advance equitable mathematics education and meaningful opportunities for learners across Connecticut. In Fall 2026, Shane will begin his master’s in public administration at UConn. He plans to focus on fiscal and educational policy.