Katherine Leiva

Experience

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  Miami Seaquarium

  Apr 2007 - Aug 2009

  Camp Instructor
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  Florida State University Communications, Visual Media and Promotions

  Aug 2008 - Aug 2009

  Communications Assistant

  Assist in producing materials for the official institutional radio and television program known as FSU Headlines.Assisted in office/clerical tasks.

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  Ambassadors of Multicultural Affairs

  Sept 2008 - Jun 2012

  Treasurer
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  Big Brothers Big Sisters

  Aug 2010 - Jun 2012

  Senior Work Study

  Led orientation sessions for incoming volunteers (Bigs).Modeled peer interactions for incoming volunteers (Bigs).Trained incoming volunteers on how to deal with particular issues (safety/home/school/behavioral) that came up with their mentee and offered on going support.Managed and processed a database of 1,500+ volunteer and families on Excel, Word, and online Big Brothers Big Sisters AIM website and determined through data, how matches were doing, what matches needed assistance, and what matches needed to be terminated. Show less

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  Opus Broadcasting

  Jan 2012 - Jun 2012

  Intern

  Intern for the Spring 2012 Semester. I work on radio scripts, prize give aways, promotions, sales, accounting, and media production.

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  Teach For America

  Jun 2012 - Jun 2014

  Corps Member

  Constantly track students in reading, writing, and benchmark assessments with the use of Microsoft Excel.Analyze data to drive instruction and meet every individual need of students.Create a classroom culture in which students have an individual goal, a class goal, and a life goal, to both empower and invest the students in their education

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  Miami-Dade County Public Schools

  Aug 2013 - Jul 2016

  -Teach ELA to 9th- 12th grade ESOL students who vary in ESOL level. -Innovate student tracking. -Researched, constructed, and was integral to the start of New Comers Center for the region. -Highest CELLA results in Booker T. Washington and the district 3 consecutive years in a row. 92% of students moving ESOL levels yearly.-Highest WIDA results in Coral Gables in 2015 with 85% of students moving ESOL levels-School Wellness Council Member, Healthcorps Club Sponsor, and GSA Club Sponsor. Show less One of the founding coaches for the Adult Education Division.Provides site based professional development to staff that is aligned to the needs of students and teachers based on data.Utilizes the coaching model (planning, demonstrating, providing feedback) with teachers on site to improve classroom strategy and teaching methods. Plans and leads common planning for teachers in order to secure complete alignment to curriculum.Assists with coordinating and monitoring intervention services to students. Show less

  • ESOL through ELA teacher and Department Head

    Aug 2012 - Jul 2016

  • Instructional Coach for Adult Education (ESOL Division)

    Aug 2013 - Aug 2015
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  Rennert International

  May 2015 - Aug 2015

  Academic Coordinator for Summer Term

  Lead a team of ESL teachers, utilizing active management and feedback to reinforce expectations, develop skills, and provide a positive working environment.Perform classroom observations of teachers and provide feedback.Plan, organize, and lead teacher professional development workshops.Advise teachers on appropriate pedagogical and classroom management strategiesCreate, reinforce, and keep track of expectations that must be met by teachers, students, and staff as the school leader for the summer. Show less

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  Teach For America

  May 2015 - Apr 2017

  The Collective: Miami Chapter Founder and Steering Committee Member

  Founder of the TFA Miami Collective: A branch of TFA that seeks to meaningfully advance educational outcomes for our children through the continuous engagement, leadership development, and mobilization of alumni of color. Responsibilities included: -Vision setting -Team Building -Strategic Planning -Filing Articles of Incorporation and Chapter By Laws.Delivered Alumni Address at Alumni Induction, 2016.

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  FitLit, Inc.

  Jan 2016 - now

  Chief Operating Officer

  At FitLit, we blend fitness and literature to offer a unique learning and growing experience to youth. We use our knowledge of the brain to instill a growth mindset in all youth, as this is the mindset that will lead them to reach their full learning and growing potential in fitness, in literature, and in life.

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  North Broward Preparatory School

  Aug 2016 - Jan 2019

  IB English B Teacher, Integration Task Force Vice Chair, Mindfulness Team Member, and Course Develop

  International Baccalaureate English B (non native speakers) -Revamp curriculum focused on the core topics of global issues, social relationships, and communications and media. -Facilitate discourse among peers focusing on social justice, inequality, and the American Dream. -Engage students in mindfulness, empathy, and gratitude to classroom culture and equip students with proper tools to succeed. Integration Task Force Vice Chair -Create and Launch the vision of diversity based on the needs and wants of the community. -Collaborate with community stakeholders to provide programming focused on culturally responsive pedagogy, social unity, and authentic collaboration. -Design tough conversations involving race, privilege, socio-economic status, and other markers of diversity. -Organized and Facilitated the opening of school day conference for over 300+ NB faculty, staff, and community members.Mindfulness Team Member -Work alongside valued mindful educators to train new teachers on the foundations of neuroscience and how understanding the brain can transform the teaching experience. -Demonstrate ways to make mindfulness, gratitude, and empathy a part of the classroom.Co-Creator of Global Problem Solving Course at NBPS -The course is designed to develop students into leaders who identify, study, and solve problems on a local and on a global level. -The curriculum enables students to take advantage of other 21st century learning tools to collaborate with their classmates, schoolmates, community members, and peers from around the world. -Students will ultimately become engaged leaders and impactful global citizens. -An essential aspect of the course is that it will challenge students to actually take meaningful actions towards solving the issues they research.Middle School Soccer Coach for Boys and Girls Show less

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  Johns Hopkins University School of Education

  Apr 2017 - now

  Johns Hopkins School of Education Ambassador

  -Positively represent the JHU student body in your local TFA/TNTP region, as well as online.-Act as an ambassador to prospective, current students and alumni, by building community and answering questions for prospective students-Share stories on recruitment webinars for prospective students-Field questions from prospective and current applicants via email and phone calls-Host regional events in conjunction with TFA/TNTP PD or Institute/Summer Training-Assist in the recruitment of future Student Ambassadors Show less

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  Radical Partners

  Aug 2018 - Dec 2021

  At the head of all leadership development program design, curriculum, partnerships, and operations. Current programs are the Strategic Planning Summit and Leadership Lab. I am responsible of leading the overall strategy and program development, from planning to implementation, which will include branding, marketing, recruitment, and selection of the cohort of leaders, as well as the day to day execution and final impact evaluation.Roles and Responsibilities include: 1. Leading all professional development programs,create spaces for feedback that will help design and strengthen the learning arc of all programs, deliver content, and make connections to other possible content facilitators.2. Coordinating all guest facilitators to ensure a seamless learning experience for cohort leaders.3. Create a community amongst the cohort that promotes collaboration for equity and systems level change. 4. Lead reflections throughout the learning process to promote a culture of thinking and analysis amongst cohort. 5. Design and execute consistent surveys and deliverables that will be used to showcase impact.6. Evaluate and report on the impact of the initiative at large at the conclusion of the program. Show less As a Leadership for Educational Equity member, I have been chosen as one of thirty Policy Advisor National Fellows. This fellowship is specifically for teachers to help policy leaders across the U.S. understand how current legislation affects our schools and neighborhoods. I will be adding an educator's perspective to the work being done in the Miami offices. The work includes (but is not limited to): compiling research on policy ideas, analyzing effective policies, drafting memos, drafting legislation, meeting with constituents, developing tools to educate the community, and be a vital part of a strategic thought partnership. Show less

  • Senior Manager of Leadership Innovation

    Sept 2020 - Dec 2021

  • Programs Manager

    Jan 2019 - Sept 2020

  • Policy Advisor Fellow

    Aug 2018 - Jan 2019
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  Miami-Dade County Public Schools

  Sept 2021 - now

  Chief Of Staff | Office of School Board Member Luisa Santos

  Lead the overall strategic planning and implementation of office key priorities across all aspects of policy work. As a key advisor to School Board Member Santos, this role oversees and develops policy, heads office-wide operations, staff development, and financial management.Roles and Responsibilities Include:1. Lead overall day-to-day office operations, communications, project management and logistics to ensure efficient office-wide systems, policies, and procedures for D9 staff2. Provide strategic vision, guidance, and manage execution of Luisa’s policy and budget priorities, constituent services, communications, operations, and community engagement3. Manage all aspects of the D9 Policy Roadmap priorities including but not limited to research, developing, and submitting school board policy proposals to be presented to The School Board 4. Communicate directly and on behalf of the Board Member with M-DCPS Board Members and their offices, district staff, members of the press, and key partners for D9 and M-DCPS broadly5. Lead office talent management and support to build a collaborative team, including talent pipeline building, hiring, onboarding as well as professional development and growth of the D9 team 6. Develop office budget and maintain financial management and systems, including management of contracts/agreements, office payroll, expenditures, credit card reconciliation, and travel reimbursement7. Ensure compliance with all local, state and federal guidelines as related to the governance of a constitutionally-elected official’s office8. Prioritize conflicting needs; handle matters expeditiously, proactively, and follow-through on projects to successful completion9. Represent the Board Member at community functions, advisory committees, meetings, and events Show less