“You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it; unless you see yourself as belonging to it and responsible for changing it.”
Katie Elliott, Ph.D.
I was raised in a large, boisterous, very close family that emphasized the importance of connection, community, and using what you know and learn to make the world a better place, even if it’s just your tiny corner of it. I try to live up to these values every day in my roles as a mother, partner, sister, and friend and in my work as an educator and scholar. I am dedicated to preparing inspiring, quality future teachers and thoughtful, engaged citizens and to creating equitable schools and communities for all.
Professional Background: I earned my Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and am currently an Assistant Professor of Social and Cultural Foundations in the Educational Foundations Department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. I am a feminist educator and scholar broadly interested in school culture, identity, intersectionality, and students’ experiences in schools. My research and teaching include an emphasis on the recognition and operation of systems of privilege and exclusion and how these influence policy and practice in schools. The majority of my research focuses on the school experiences of diverse LGBTQ and gender non-conforming students; how their experiences are mediated by race, social class, gender, and other intersectional identities; and how students work to transform their school cultures through activism. I have worked with youth in schools as a researcher, tutor, coach, and advocate for over ten years.
Areas of consulting expertise:
Gender and sexual inequality in education; LGBTQ youth; health and sexuality education; Culturally Relevant Teaching and Cultural Competence; privilege; school-based youth activism
Publications and presentations:
Elliott, K. (2018) “Authority and Autonomy in Sex Education,” paper presented for the Center for Ethics and Education, Wisconsin Center for Education Research. March 2018.
Elliott, K. (2016) “Queering Student Perspectives: Gender, Sexuality, and Activism in School.” Sex Education. Vol. 16 (1): 49-62.
Elliott, K. (2015). “Sex and Sexuality in the Classroom: Responsibility, Power, and Critique in Sex Education,” paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Women’s Studies Association, Milwaukee, WI.
Elliott, K. (2012) "The Right Kind of Gay: How School Structures Sexual Inequality." In Sexualities in Education. Meiners, E. & Quinn, T. (Eds.). New York: Peter Lang.
