Katrina's Sandcastles

the long version

Kaycee Eckhardt created the reading program for innovative New Orleans charter school Sci Academy where students' reading levels improved by an average of over 3.5 years. Eckhardt was the Louisiana Charter Teacher of the Year in 2009. She has gone on to do national education, Common Core advocacy, and teaches literacy development. She was interviewed by Brian Williams on NBC's "Teacher Town Hall" and the subject of the viral documentaries "School Works: The Committed Teacher" and "America Achieves: Symbolism in the Lottery." She continues to work in education policy and lectures to motivate and inspire first year teachers. This is her story.