Kimberly Eckert serves as the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Oxford Teachers College at Reach University while still teaching and serving as Innovative Programs Coordinator in West Baton Rouge Schools. She holds a BA in social work, an MEd in Special Education, and is pursuing a PhD in Learning, Innovation, and Instruction. An educator for 13 years, Kimberly is an ASCD Emerging Leader, a Global Teacher Prize Finalist, a national fellow for Understood.org, and serves on the National Policy Committee for the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Eckert was a 2019 NEA Social Justice Activist of the Year national finalist, 2018 Louisiana Teacher of the Year, and the inaugural Louisiana Public Interest Fellow for her work developing Louisiana's Educators Rising Program for targeted recruitment of a diverse and culturally responsive teacher pipeline. She continues to support retention through teacher advocacy, serving as the coordinator for Stand for Children's LEAD Fellows program.

Kimberly is also a reading specialist, having served as an instructional coach, master teacher, reading interventionist, mentor teacher, English and special education teacher. She recently co-authored a book titled, “Flip the System: US” and enjoys cooking, playing video games, and building with Legos.