My name is Hailey Karcher and I’m currently a Ph.D. candidate in education policy, organizations, and leadership at the University of Washington. I began my professional educational career as a 7th and 8th grade English teacher and literacy curriculum designer. This led me to pursue graduate studies in education policy to understand the systems that impact schools and possibilities for racial equity. Influenced by my experience teaching and building relationships with students and their families, during my graduate studies I have developed my commitment to creating just places, including schools. I am interested in understanding the political and economic contexts of schools and the ways people seek to change and shape schools towards justice. My work seeks to connect multiple policy domains, including education, housing, land use, and transportation using critical frameworks and community-engaged research.

I earned a B.A. in American Studies and Legal Studies from Northwestern University.