Katie started her career as a 6th Grade Humanities teacher in a project-based context and found herself gravitating toward students at the margins – those who learned differently, those who spoke languages other than English, and those who other teachers “warned” her about before they joined her class. These were the students who fueled her desire to reimagine the industrial system of schooling that is perfectly designed to get the results it currently gets: serving some while alienating and marginalizing others. After working as a Special Education teacher and Dean of Students, Katie directed Special Education programs for the High Tech High network of K-12 charter schools in San Diego. Inspired by the change that is possible at the system level when teams are energized by shared purpose, Katie directed the High Tech High GSE’s Master’s in Educational Leadership program, where she partnered with current and future school leaders to cultivate the dispositions, mindsets, and skills that are necessary for advancing equity and deeper learning in complex school systems. Katie is currently a Director of Strategic Partnerships at Learner-Centered Collaborative where she has the honor of supporting teams of educators as they reimagine schools and cultivate shared purpose. On the weekends, Katie geeks out on her Airbnb side hustle, loves to hike with her partner and their two dogs, and bakes endless varieties of cookies and sourdough bread.
