“I love to watch Kitty teach English and Language Arts because she brings the world into her classroom… She is a leader and an example for all in the building: the kind of teacher you want for your children. She shares her time selflessly to improve the culture of our school.”

Kathleen (Kitty) Merk began her teaching career in 1993 and has had the privilege of teaching in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for 28 years. She currently teaches 6th grade English language arts and social studies at Orchard STEM School. She has taught at three CMSD schools, with seven years’ experience in grades 3–4 and 21 years’ experience in middle school. Kitty attended Cleveland State University for her bachelor’s degree and Cambridge College for her master’s degree. She earned her National Board Certification in 2010. Kitty became an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2016 and loves finding new ways to incorporate technology in her lessons. She was trained in the No Nonsense Nurturer Method and still uses it for positive classroom behavior. Additionally, Kitty is an Art is Ed Liaison and a director of Disney Musicals. One of her fondest memories was being a part of the NASA Reduced Gravity Flight team for Luis Munoz Marin. Kitty teaches reading through novels and lives for students to discover their own love of reading. She loves teaching, theater, reading, traveling, eating, and spending time with family and friends.