Mikkaka Overstreet

(she, her, hers)

Principal Consultant, Equity & Systems Improvement for Literacy

Mikkaka has known since she was a child that she wanted to be an educator. Taught by excellent teachers in Louisville’s Jefferson County public school system, Mikkaka’s resolve was strengthened by the love and dedication she saw in her educators. She knew that one day she wanted to make as much of a difference in other children’s lives as they had in hers.

Mikkaka is passionate about helping make quality, equitable education a reality for all kids, especially kids like her—those who have been historically marginalized based on their identities.

Mikkaka worked for five years as an elementary school teacher before becoming a literacy consultant at the Kentucky Department of Education. She facilitated professional learning for teachers around the state, working to strengthen their use of effective teaching and learning practices in literacy. This increased her interest in adult learning, her deep love of education, (particularly teaching reading and writing), and her passion for equity and culturally-responsive education. Before joining Education Northwest, she taught educators as a literacy professor at the University of Louisville and East Carolina University.

Education

  • Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction, University of Louisville
  • M.Ed., University of Louisville
  • B.S., Elementary Education, Learning and Behavior Disorders, University of Louisville

My game plan in a zombie apocalypse is...

To hang out with my cats until we're eaten or turned. I have no interest in surviving the apocalypse, though my family has extensively planned for it. LOL.

I don't trust people who don't like...

Books.

If I was an animal, I would be...

A house cat for sure.

Mikkaka Overstreet

Areas of Expertise

  • Literacy
  • Culturally responsive pedagogy
  • Equity and diversity

Blog Posts

Literacy Lens: Black Educators Matter

Students benefit from having teachers that reflect their cultural background. But while nearly 50 percent of U.S. students are people of color, only about 20 percent of teachers are.

Literacy Lens: Review, Reflect, Revise

To stay focused on goals and ensure strategies and practices are working, educators need to review, reflect, and revise from time to time—engaging in a cycle of continuous improvement to meet student needs.
Case Briefs & Publications

A Community-Driven Equity Review

Astoria decided to begin by reviewing equity across the district, then use the evidence to prioritize their work on key focus areas. They hired Education Northwest to lead an equity review and uncover opportunities to promote equity for everyone in the district.