Kim Hett is a 32-year veteran educator of Andover Public Schools whose career has been defined by innovation, leadership, and a deep commitment to personalized learning. She began as an elementary teacher and later created a district writing coach role that elevated student writing and supported initiatives such as the Young Authors’ Conference. After serving as a district instructional coach, Kim helped launch Andover eCademy, which has become a leading blended online school in Kansas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University and a Master’s degree from Baker University. Her accomplishments include being named Emporia State’s Kansas Master Teacher in 2017 and receiving the National Education Association’s Global Fellowship in 2022, an opportunity that took her to Peru to collaborate with educators from around the world.

Today, as Director of Khan Lab School Wichita, Kim continues to champion an educational model that combines academic rigor with whole-child development. She is deeply committed to the educational philosophy of Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy and Khan Lab School, which emphasizes mastery-based learning, personalized education, student agency, and real-world problem-solving. As the only other Khan Lab School in the country, the Wichita campus has provided a unique opportunity to bring this innovative approach to students and families in the Wichita community. “Wichita is our Classroom” has really become the mantra of the school.

Kim is now leading the school through an exciting new chapter as it transitions to its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Beginning May 31, 2027, the school will officially become Wichita Mastery School. Students will play an active role in helping shape the school’s new identity and rebranding, ensuring that the transition reflects the voice and vision of the community it serves. While the name and organizational structure will change, the heart of the school will remain the same: mastery-based learning, personalized instruction, meaningful relationships, and authentic, real-world experiences. The new Wichita Mastery School will also expand to include 11th and 12th grades, with the goal of celebrating its first graduating class in the spring of 2028.

Through this next chapter, Kim remains focused on creating a school where students are known, challenged, empowered, and prepared not simply for the next level of education, but for meaningful lives beyond the classroom.