Kim Baker
About Kim Baker
Kim Baker serves as the Content Equity Lead at NWEA, where she has worked for over 13 years. She has a background in education and curriculum, and she actively promotes equity and diversity within her organization through various initiatives.
Work at NWEA
Kim Baker has served as the Content Equity Lead at NWEA since 2010. In this role, she has been instrumental in advising leadership and collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop equitable and high-quality educational products and services. Over her 14 years at NWEA, she has led initiatives aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the organization. Baker has also co-led a Strategic Plan Initiative that emphasizes creating a client-centric culture, demonstrating her commitment to improving educational outcomes.
Education and Expertise
Kim Baker earned her Master of Education (M.Ed) degree in Education and Curriculum from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she studied from 2000 to 2003. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her work in content development and instructional design. Baker's expertise includes leading discussions on equity and social emotional learning, as well as engaging in professional learning and instructional strategy development to enhance student experiences, particularly in science education.
Background
Before joining NWEA, Kim Baker held various positions in the education sector. She worked as a Lead Elementary Instructional Designer at Pearson Digital Learning from 2004 to 2006 and as a Senior Curriculum Specialist at PLATO Learning from 2006 to 2008. Additionally, she served as a Senior Content Specialist at Scantron for one year in 2008-2009. These roles contributed to her extensive experience in curriculum development and instructional design.
Achievements
During her tenure at NWEA, Kim Baker has led significant initiatives, including the growth of the cross-functional Content Equity Team from one to 17 members within a year. She co-organized an equity retreat for a department of 70 people and has provided training and education to support DEI goals, impacting over 100 team members. Baker also establishes and leads book discussions on seminal DEI literature, engaging over 80 team members in critical conversations about diversity and equity.
Professional Involvement
Kim Baker actively participates in discussions surrounding equity and social emotional learning, focusing on improving student experiences in science education. She serves as co-lead for the LGBTQ Colleague Resource Group (CRG), demonstrating her commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace. Baker's involvement in various professional learning initiatives reflects her dedication to challenging assumptions and enhancing educational practices.