Helping children in under-served areas receive an equitable education has been Kate Beaudet’s lifelong passion. After graduating Highland Hall in 1986, Kate attended UCLA and then received her MA in reading/language arts at Cal State Northridge. Kate taught in the public school system for 20 years serving as a reading/language arts specialist for high needs populations in the South LA and Boyle Heights neighborhoods. She also has taught literacy workshops in Spanish and also co-founded the Coalition for Educational Justice (CEJ), a community organization fighting for equity in public schools.
Kate’s current area of focus is on teacher training and development. Kate is the co-founder of Powerful Choices Consulting which helps teachers implement balanced literacy instruction for K-8 schools. Kate has also served as a mentor, a writing workshop coach, an intervention coordinator, a faculty advisor for UCLA's Department of Education, an adjunct professor in reading methods at Antioch University, and an educational consultant, both privately and for UCLA.
Waldorf education has had a profound influence on Kate's career and personal life. “I believe in educating the whole child--the spirit as well as the mind,“ she says. "The Waldorf environment aligns with how I believe children learn and what they need to feel safe and happy." Regarding technology, she feels young people are becoming too attached to their electronic devices and thinks it may hinder their development. “I want my child to be connected and be a part of this world, to experience nature, feelings, etc. completely unmediated by screens or technology.”
Kate is currently living in Highland Park and has a three year old son named Aurelio with her partner, Daniel. She plans to enroll him in a Waldorf preschool.