Julie Gronquist
Julie has been a proud member of the Teach for America Kansas City family since 2010 and is the region’s Executive Director. Growing up in a farming community in rural Kansas, Julie realized early the value of hard work and perseverance. She also knew early on that she wanted to work in education and, after many hours of playing school with her younger sister, headed off to Bemidji State University where she majored in Early Childhood Education and Political Science.
Julie was heavily involved in organizing work during college and led the student government for two years. Upon graduation she worked as an advocate for early childhood education before joining TFA as a corps member in 2006, where she taught special education in the South Bronx. Following her corps commitment and the completion of her Masters in Teaching from Pace University, Julie worked as a special education coordinator at Achievement First Bushwick Elementary, where she piloted a special education model that is widely used within the network today. Julie has been on the Teach for America Kansas City team for 11 years, serving as a teacher coach, team leader, and Chief Program Officer prior to becoming ED.
In addition to her work at TFA, Julie dedicated 10 years of service to the KIPP KC Board of directors, ultimately serving as Board President, and is a foster parent.