Katie Leigh

As the Director of Elementary Education, Katie Leigh’s goal is to foster an environment in which teacher candidates feel a sense of belonging, develop their identities as emerging professionals, explore their own biases and beliefs, and challenge systems of oppression. She brings expertise in elementary education, in topics such as anti-bias teaching, classroom culture, and family engagement, as well as a range of teaching experience. Before completing her master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Virginia, Katie spent five years teaching lower elementary at a large, public school in Texas and five years teaching upper elementary at a small, independent school in Virginia. In her current role, Katie oversees the BA in Elementary Education program, conducts program analysis, and collaborates with instructors and program coordinators to achieve program alignment and an equity-orientation.