Kaitlin Sullivan is finishing her sixth year as a multifaceted educator at Bulkeley High School. Growing up in New York, Ms. Sullivan began to develop her passion for education as she watched her mom develop meaningful and lasting relationships with her students as a paraprofessional. This established an understanding of the impact a single educator could have on a diverse group of students.
Ms. Sullivan went to Binghamton University, where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science Ecosystems and was a member of the Division I track program. She arrived in Connecticut as a 2012 Teach For America (TFA) corps member and started her teaching career at Bulkeley High School. Earning an MS in Educational Studies at Johns Hopkins University, Ms. Sullivan connected to a large teaching network of educators from all over the country pursuing common goals of student centered and community focused learning.
BHS is in the south end of Hartford and is one of the most diverse schools in the city. There was a need for a TESOL science teacher and Ms. Sullivan enthusiastically rose to the occasion. Not only did she become TESOL certified, she also received a grant to go to Costa Rica through Fund For Teachers to immerse herself in the Spanish language. Ms. Sullivan took Spanish classes as well as explored schools with bilingual education and completed environmental research to bring back to her classroom.
Ms. Sullivan has continually expressed her desire to learn and grow as an educator and mentor by perusing any opportunity involving Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Ms. Sullivan was a member of the curriculum and assessment team for the NGSS 9th grade bundles, spent two summers at a NGSX professional development training, and currently meets with a UCONN mentor focus group to share best practices in implementing NGSS. Through these opportunities, she was able to meet inspiring educators from across the state that has influenced her pedagogy. Ms. Sullivan has made it a priority to share these experiences through facilitating Hartford’s science professional developments for integrated science teachers.
Her teaching experience has been enriched and her educational leadership abilities sculpted by being a part of the Bulkeley community. Ms. Sullivan serves as a Content Specialist for first year TFA science corps members in Hartford. Through her continued relationship with TFA, Ms. Sullivan has been able to share her passion for urban education by mentoring new science teachers in Hartford.
Ms. Sullivan is actively engaged in every aspect of the Bulkeley community and is extremely proud and honored to be a Bulkeley Bulldog. She knows the importance of building relationships with students both inside and outside the classroom. She can be found chaperoning any dance, participating in community events and being in the middle of any student-staff competitions. She puts her school pride on full display as a coach of the track and field and cross country teams. Coaching has been a joyous opportunity since the spring of her first year teaching. She feels that through her role as a track coach she is able to influence the students by building stronger connections on the track and in the classroom. This provides an opportunity to foster strong relationships that often last beyond graduation.