Norma Shapiro

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Shapiro 2011

Advisory Board

Office Location(s): Concord, MA

  • Affiliation(s)
    • Board of DIrectors, American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts
    • Executive Board, Citizens for Public Schools
  • About

    Norma Shapiro currently serves on the Boards of Directors and the Executive Boards of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and Citizens for Public Schools. Ms. Shapiro retired in 2009  from 20 years as a legislative lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. She was president of the Council for Fair School Finance, the coalition that supported the adequacy lawsuit to require the state to meet its constitutional responsibility for education in the public schools. She is also a member and past chair of the Massachusetts Coalition for Choice, which works to defend reproductive freedom.

    • Ms. Shapiro received the rarely given Lucy Wilson Benson Award for political effectiveness in the service of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts in 1990. 
    • The Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contributions to public education was presented to Ms. Shapiro by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents in 1995. 
    • In 1996 she was chosen Wonder Woman by the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus for tireless work behind the scenes promoting vision and leadership for women. 
    • In 2001, the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers awarded her the Hero in Education award for her work on the Council for Fair School Finance.
    • In 2002, Citizens for Public Schools honored her for her long-time work promoting equity and the well-being of the public schools in Massachusetts.
    • In 2002 she was also selected to represent massequality.org, a GLBT rights coalition to receive their annual award from the Human Rights Campaign.
    • In 2003, the ACLU of Massachusetts presented the Luther Knight MacNair award to Ms. Shapiro for her contributions to the ACLUM and in 2009, she was honored with the Roger Baldwin Award for her work in promoting civil rights and civil liberties.
    • In 2009, the Massachusetts Teachers Association presented their annual award to Ms. Shapiro for her contributions to public education. 

    Prior to joining the Civil Liberties Union, Ms. Shapiro served as a Director of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts for four years as vice-president for communications and for six years as Legislative Director coordinating the lobbying efforts to safeguard the environment, improve government services, and expand social services. She taught in the Saugus Public Schools, was class advisor, and held the office of  the Secretary of the Saugus Education Association.  She has served on the visiting committee of the U of M College of Literature, Science and the Arts.  

  • Education
    • University of Michigan, Bachelor of Arts
    • Marygrove College, Master of Education in Teaching