Lori Pluchrat is a 2023-2024 Teach Plus Illinois Early Childhood Educator Policy Fellow. Lori is a 1st grade special education teacher at Havlicek Elementary in Berwyn, Illinois. She focuses on presenting at conferences in the areas of early childhood best practices, structured literacy approach, and challenging behaviors to help support pre-service and current educators. Lori was a pre-kindergarten teacher for five years in Chicago Public Schools and a kindergarten teacher for two years in Franklin Park School District. Lori has been a part of the Golden Apple Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Union Organizing Institute, and the Chicago Teachers Union-American Federation of Teachers Policy Fellowship. She earned her BA in early childhood education, English as a second language endorsement, and early childhood special education letter of approval from Illinois State University, Bloomington-Normal. She earned her MEd in educational studies with a graduate certificate in mind, brain, and teaching from Johns Hopkins University. She will earn her dyslexia certificate from the University of Florida.