Social justice has always been central to Kourtney’s passion for education as she began as a teacher’s assistant at San Quentin State Prison in 1997. This experience evoked a lifelong dedication to strong educational experiences for all students, especially those who experience the obstacles of inequity. “The relentless belief in every child’s unlimited capacity to learn” are words that guide the work she does in McMinnville School District where she served as principal at Wascher Elementary School for six years and now serves as Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment at the district office. Wascher Elementary was recognized as a Model School for rapidly improving student outcomes in 2018 by the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). In 2019 Kourtney was awarded Oregon Elementary Principal of the Year and was honored as a National Distinguished Principal. Before entering into administration, Kourtney was a kindergarten and third grade teacher as well as an instructional coach. She lives in Oregon’s wine country with her husband and two children. Kourtney is on Twitter @kourtneyferrua. Learn more about Kourtney by visiting https://www.principaled.org/.