Katherine Nelson

Katherine recently joined the Para Los Niños family as Vice President of Student Success with thirty years of experience serving the TK-12 community in Los Angeles and San Diego. Launching her career as a bilingual Kindergarten teacher with Teach for America in Watts, she has remained close to her original placement throughout her career. As a successful principal, her work was showcased in two different case studies, Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools, by Dr. Tyrone Howard, in 2010 and 107th Street Elementary Joins the Partnership: A Case Study, Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, in 2017. Working for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, she served as a Senior Director of School Transformation, Chief Academic Officer, and the principal of 107th Street STEAM Magnet School. Katherine fundamentally believes that they must provide an excellent education by supporting the whole child through the integration of wellness, academic rigor, curiosity and joy, in order to empower families and transform the communities. Furthermore, she believes that relationships are the foundation of the work and invests deeply in the teammates, scholars and the families they serve. In her free time, you can find Katherine playing at the beach with her granddaughter, Parker.