Now Teach co-founder joins the Board of Trustees
Katie co-founded Now Teach in 2016, alongside ex-Financial Times journalist Lucy Kellaway, with the vision of addressing the nationwide teacher shortage and bringing the expertise of experienced professionals into the classroom.
Katie’s leadership and commitment have been instrumental in transforming Now Teach from a nascent idea into a nationally recognized charity that has supported over 1000 career changers into teacher training and raised the profile of teaching as a profession and career change as a life choice..
As Executive Director from 2016, she oversaw the growth of Now Teach to a national charity with the Department for Education commissioning the Career Change Programme.
Since 2022, Katie has split her time between Now Teach team and a new charity she is co-founding, Now Foster.
Katie said: " I have been – and remain - profoundly inspired by every single Now Teacher I’ve met. Working with incredible people – from employees and volunteers to trustees and donors - who have turned Now Teach from a dream into reality has been an astonishing privilege.
More than anything, in my working life, I have always been determined to try and play a role in the fight to break the link between life chances and parental income and education. Now Teachers have a unique role to play not only in their classroom teaching but in the skills, experiences and networks they can bring as individuals and as a movement for change.
I am filled with optimism for the future and what they can bring to education. Now Teach seems to me a quiet underground revolution, not only within teaching, but in what the shape of a life can be and the possibility of change and hope for the future.
More personally, I’ve made great friends. Meeting Lucy was the luckiest break in my working life and has led to some incredible friendships: most importantly with her. Our relationship is a daily reminder of the power of people of (slightly!) different generations working together.
I know there are challenges ahead, I know that our teachers, the Now Teach team, Graihagh and supporters can overcome them, and I look forward to giving all I can as a trustee."
As a trustee, Katie will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the future of Now Teach and we are glad to keep her insights and unwavering commitment to our mission as we develop our work.
Lord Blunkett, former Secretary of State for Education, said: “Katie Waldegrave is a force of nature. Her leadership of Now Teach has been an exemplar: committed, energised, focused and with an extensive network from which to gain support. She has been forceful but thoughtful advocate, great communicator and team player. Katie has left a foundation on which I hope Now Teach will go from strength to strength. The teaching profession and education, more broadly, need this pipeline of career changers to succeed. “
Graihagh Crawshaw-Sadler, Now Teach’s CEO, said: “As CEO, it’s been a real gift to have Katie’s input and thinking. I’m really glad that this will continue with her becoming a trustee and look forward to continuing to work together.”
Graham Elton, Chair of Trustees at Now Teach said: “No one has put more into Now Teach than Katie. She has done almost every role in the organisation at one time or another and her spirit and inspiration run through the entire team. I am sure that her contributions as a Trustee will drive us to bigger goals and even more impact. I am thrilled that her unending supply of positivity and insights will remain part of Now Teach. Thank you, Katie.”