Katie Viernum is a 2026-2027 Teach Plus Illinois Senior Policy Fellow and assistant director at Loyola University Preschool in Chicago. Throughout Katie’s 20 years as an early childhood educator, she has focused on building relationships with families while creating and implementing developmentally appropriate, play-based curriculum. She coaches all of the teaching teams in the program and serves on the Smart Start Child Care Ad Hoc Advisory Committee. Katie earned a BS in psychology at Loyola University Chicago and MEd in instructional leadership (early childhood education with an Early Childhood special education approval) from University of Illinois Chicago.
