Meet
Catherine
A lifelong learner, Catherine spent 7 years as an elementary teacher within the Montessori school system before graduating with a PhD in Educational Administration from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto in 2005.
Catherine has been an educational researcher and consultant in Ontario and California: She worked at the University of San Diego’s Leadership Studies department, where she taught in the principal qualification program as well as in the department’s leadership programs. In Ontario, Catherine has worked with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, and the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Parent Engagement Office. Catherine is currently appointed as a Professor at Brock University and she teaches in the Faculty of Education’s Administration, Leadership and Policy specialization.
Catherine’s expertise includes educational leadership, school-community relations, family engagement in schooling, learning communities, values and ethics in education, and educational change. She maintains an active research agenda in these areas, and has presented and published work regionally, nationally and internationally.
Community Engagement in Education
Family involvement in schooling
School-community relations
Educational reform
Schools as communities
Educational policy
Leadership in education
Awards & Recognitions
AERA Family, School, and Community Partnerships SIG Outstanding Dissertation Award
OISE/UT Scholarship awarded by the Department of Theory and Policy
Studies in Education - Educational Administration ($15 000)
OISE/UT award ($2 800)
Work with Catherine
Catherine consults with educational institutions, government and professional organizations, presents cutting-edge research at academic and professional conferences, collaboratively leads educational reforms, and hosts workshops to foster better family and community engagement.