Kate started her career as a sixth-grade humanities teacher in a project-based context and found herself gravitating toward students at the margins—those who learned differently, those who spoke multiple languages, 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 16 K-12 charter schools in San Diego. She went on to direct the Master’s in Educational Leadership program at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education. Currently, Katie is Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships for Learner-Centered Collaborative, where she supports school and district partners to create education ecosystems where all learners know who they are, thrive in community, and actively engage in the world as their best selves.

Strengths
Individualization, Empathy, Achiever, Sierra Mountain Explorer

Education Roles
Teacher, Dean of Students, Director of Special Education, Director of Master’s in Educational Leadership Program

San Diego, CA