In her second term on the Cambridge School Committee, Kathleen worked to increase access to educational opportunities for all students, mitigate social and emotional challenges many students bring to the classroom, and engage parents with different experience and backgrounds to directly support their child’s learning.  Keeping in mind the values of equity, access, and excellence, she has advocated for:

• Family engagement plan which recognizes parents/guardians as advocates for their student’s learning. Each FY2018 School Improvement Plan will have this goal to improve student achievement.
• Tiered social-emotional supports in classrooms and school communities. Full implementation of supports for teachers and students remains a growing edge.
• Increasing academic supports for students at all math levels and more flexibility for entrance to the accelerated math pathway at the Upper Schools.
• Expanding cultural proficiency training to educators. Educator Committee developed two important modules to assist teachers in classroom learning and engaging their students and families.

Kathleen has built a working partnership with the CEA president, teachers, and district leadership on assessment and standardized testing.  She has also prioritized rebuilding trust between teachers and School Committee members and between teachers and district leadership.

As co-chair of the Budget Subcommittee, Kathleen developed and led a deep and broad FY2018 budget process that included:  multiple roundtables on important educational needs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels early in the budget cycle; multiple workshops to gather committee members’ input, public hearings for parents, educators, and community members; and regular updates from the Superintendent on the proposed FY2018 budget.

As a Cambridge public school parent, before being elected to the School Committee in 2013, Kathleen served on the King Open School Council and the King Open Extended Day Committee.  Previously, she was a small business consultant for an economic development program in low-income areas in Boston.  As a social worker, she focused on community organizing and building, and worked at an organization that used a restorative justice model to assist families and friends responding to homicide.  Additionally, she participated in the Boston Busing Desegregation Project, which after completing three years of community dialogue work, developed a history curriculum now being used by Boston Public Schools.

Kathleen earned an MBA from Simmons and an MSW/MA from Boston College.  With her husband, Brian Corr, and Uillia, a CRLS graduate and a current UMass Boston student, Kathleen has lived in Mid-Cambridge for over 25 years.