Ms. Flaherty was born and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee.

She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Middle Tennessee State University.  After completing her degree she worked for over four years in the Lebanon Special Schools District. In 1998 Ms. Flaherty moved to the state of Washington where she taught high school English for five years. She earned her master’s degree in education from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has been teaching English at Antioch High School since 2003.