Consultant. Coach. Thought Partner. Author.
McLean Affiliate of Harvard Medical School Institute of Coaching Fellow.
Kate is a transformational leader with significant experience leading public school districts and states toward equitable and integrated services for all learners. Her work is grounded in social justice and breaking down the barriers for children who have historically been marginalized. She leads organizational change utilizing a strategic framework that ensures guaranteed and rigorous learning leading to college and career readiness for all students.
Kate began her career as a special education teacher pioneering inclusive practices for students at risk and children with disabilities. Her work focused on creating conditions that fostered high expectations of adults for students and innovation which led to equitable opportunities for all learners. Kate's deep commitment to creating nimble and responsive systems that supported the whole child led her into administration where she advocated for local, state, and federal reform. That experience with large-scale reform led to improved academic and social-emotional outcomes for students, fair school funding, innovative healthcare models, and efficient operations.
As a senior state leader for the State of Illinois, Kate's vision of fulfilling the promise of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was nested within the Every Student Succeeds Act. She was an expert contributor to the State Plan where the deficit-based system was interrupted and a preventative and responsive system was created to intentionally address opportunity gaps of all learners, regardless of background or circumstance. Her deep understanding of equity-based school funding also contributed to a reform model for the state of Illinois.
As the founder and CEO of The Education Policy & Practice Group, Kate partners with local, state, and national organizations, education agencies, and various industries providing her expertise with the improvement process, professional learning communities, strategic planning, asset-based education policies, practices, special education, and consulting. Kate teaches a graduate-level Special Education Law course to aspiring principals and superintendents through the lens of equity and the higher standard.
Kate works closely with senior leadership across various sectors providing executive coaching aimed at creating growth-minded organizational cultures Kate is the author of numerous articles and books. Her latest contribution is the book, Fearless Coaching (2023).
http://edpolicyconsulting.com