Tessa Catlett is the founding principal at KIPP Bloom Primary. A Chicago native, Tessa joined the KIPP Chicago team and family in 2013, serving as a teacher and assistant principal for four years. In this role, Tessa worked to impart to her teaching team her student-centric focus on finding individualized paths to student engagement through rigorous and differentiated instruction that drives strong academic outcomes for all students. She also implemented a mindfulness curriculum and adopted restorative justice practices in her approach to managing student behavior and creating a more empowered student culture. Tessa attended the University of Michigan and received her Master of Arts from Columbia University as a member of their 2015 Teachers College Summer Principals Academy cohort. Tessa completed the Fisher Fellowship in the spring of 2018 and opened the doors to KIPP Bloom Primary shortly after in August of 2018.