Board Member Bios

Home Parish: St. Matthew Catholic Church - Champaign, IL

Partner School: The High School of St. Thomas More

Family & Background:

Katie and her husband Dave have two daughters, Keagan Marie and Kiernan and live in Champaign, IL. She attended University of Mississippi Oxford, Mississippi where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon graduation, Katie taught kindergarten in Riviera Beach, Florida. During her first-year teaching Katie earned her ESL endorsement and obtained her M. Ed. In Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Eight years later Katie moved to the Midwest and began teaching and became Reading Recovery trained. After her training at the University of Illinois she decided to get an MS in Curriculum and Instruction. She was a Literacy Interventionist in Champaign, Illinois until 2021when she made the move to the English department at The High School of St. Thomas More.

Reasons for serving on the FIRE Foundation Board:

It is Katie’s belief that all young learners should be accepted, accommodated, and fully welcomed, including those with special needs. Including students with disabilities involves allowing God to take the lead and staying focused on Jesus’ mission instead of fixating on states’ grade-level standards or expected standardized-test performance.