Meet Kat
I do more than check the boxes.
Former Teacher
Worked at MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Expert in PD for Educators
Master’s in Public Policy
PTA Member
School Site Council Member
MA Parent Community Education Involvement & Advisory Council Member
Loves Kids
Regular Classroom Volunteer
Field Trip Chaperone
Parent of Three
Coach My Kid’s Soccer Team
Gets Sh Stuff Done
Getting into Education
My high school guidance counselor helped set my path into education. In my junior year, she asked me to be part of a program to re-engage students who were at risk of not graduating. Through mentorship, tutoring, and genuine relationship building, it deepened my understanding of the education divides that can exist within a single school.
After receiving my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I became a first grade teacher. As much as I loved the joy of working with five and six year olds, I struggled with the inequities that seemed out of my control as a classroom teacher and wanted to take a systems-level view of how to improve public education for all students.
I purposefully chose to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy with a focus in Social Policy because I wanted a deeper understanding of the intersection of other policies on students and families–including housing, economics, healthcare, and racial equity and anti-discrimination policies.
My Policy Experience
While working at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) I advocated for the inclusion of educator voices and improved communications. In 2014, I started and facilitated the state’s first Teacher Advisory Cabinet, giving teachers a voice in policy decisions and state-level resources and it still runs today. I designed and led statewide convenings that brought together all 400+ MA school districts to share promising practices and educator-created resources that advance student learning, family engagement, and other education priorities. I created new and improved communications by distilling lengthy policy guidance documents into two-page Quick Reference Guides to increase accessibility for all stakeholders and created Teachers’ Top 3, the state’s first teacher-focused newsletter.
As a founding team member of The Teacher Collaborative and Director of Programs, I continued to focus on elevating educators’ expertise, designing and facilitating effective professional learning experiences, and advancing collaboration in education across public, private, and charter schools.
My Involvement as a Parent
After hearing from families that it was hard to find basic information about the school, I collaborated with our family liaison and school administrators to create a Family Resource Guide that was adopted as a model and is now used in schools across the district.
After learning about a stalled playground renovation at the Kennedy, I spoke up at a local community meeting and then my son and I were invited to speak at City Hall in November 2024. We not only spoke about the needs of the Kennedy students, but also for all the kids in Somerville and their caregivers who deserve a universally accessible and inclusive playspace. We successfully re-started the renovation with an accelerated timeline. But I knew that wasn’t good enough. To create immediate improvements, I brought together families, teachers, city departments, and local partners—and within months, we transformed the existing space with student-created art, new picnic tables, and vibrant color. It is now a more joyful, functional space that students can feel proud of and enjoy NOW.
My Vision
I’m running for School Committee because I know what it takes to make change in schools, not just from an idealistic lens, but from lived experience. I know what it’s like when a child needs support and the system doesn’t move fast enough. I know how hard teachers are working and what they need to feel supported. I know that great schools don’t just teach kids–they connect families, create trust, and build stronger neighborhoods.