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Kimberly Hurley
Kimberly has spent nearly 30 years in education, serving as a teacher, instructional coach, school improvement consultant and mentoring and induction facilitator. Kimberly has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels with a K-8 math minor and K-12 reading endorsement.
For 26 years, she has been involved in creating and providing professional learning for new teachers across the Central Rivers AEA service area. This has included meeting with a teacher leadership advisory team and planning with districts to create a district service plan for mentoring and induction. A goal is to provide equitable access to professional learning for all new teachers, albeit a small district, large district, private or charter school. What she is most excited about is working together with specific districts to provide mentoring and induction programming that is district specific, not just a general curriculum!
Another strength includes analyzing data to determine action plans to enhance each piece of an integrated MTSS system. This includes providing the protocols to analyze the data, searching for evidenced-based practices to support the data, and writing a strategic action plan that includes stakeholders in creating a vision for professional learning throughout the year.
Skills and Services
Testimonials
As part of Central Rivers AEA, Kim Hurley was asked to provide professional development at the State Training School for Boys in Eldora, a unique setting for court-ordered adjudicated youth from across Iowa. Before conducting the training, Kim took the time to visit, observe classes, and gain insights into our specific needs.
Kim’s professional development sessions were truly exceptional. She provided engaging, hands-on training that modeled the very tools and strategies we wanted our teachers to implement. Her sessions were tailored to our challenging student population, equipping our teachers with practical techniques to increase student engagement.
Moreover, Kim offered timely and constructive feedback to our teachers, helping them improve their practice and effectively apply the new strategies. Her dedication and expertise have set us on the right path to developing more engaging and impactful lessons for our students.
We are immensely grateful to Kim Hurley for her outstanding work. Her commitment to understanding our unique context and her ability to deliver relevant, high-quality professional development have been invaluable in our efforts to enhance the educational experience for our students
Joel Weeks
State Training School
Kim Hurley was instrumental at providing mentoring and induction practices that meet the needs of our experienced and new teachers. This created life-long partnerships between colleagues.
Kim Hurley provided support and strategies that took our MTSS to the next level of achievement. We were able to meet students needs and take them to the next level without leaving anyone behind.
Lisa Wunn
Meskwaki School
David Voves
David Voves is a passionate educator with nearly two decades of experience, committed to ensuring educational success for all. His career has been marked by a profound dedication to serving educators and students through enhanced reflective practices, capacity-building skills, and school improvement efforts. David’s journey in education spans various roles including elementary and secondary teaching experience, homeschool programming, gifted education, PK-12 Instructional Coaching, administrative oversight of 250 remote learners, and served as a district Teacher-Leadership Coordinator, where he has played a pivotal role in developing impactful educational systems.
Throughout his career, David has been instrumental in enhancing reflective practices of colleagues and capacity builders, strengthening mentoring and induction programs, facilitating transformative Learning Walks and Learning Labs to elevate teaching practices, and spearheading initiatives such as the district’s Student Teaching Academy. His approach is guided by the mantra, “it doesn’t matter, get better,” reflecting his unwavering commitment to continuous growth and improvement.
David holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership earned in 2011, and instructional coach certifications from UNI in 2016 and Central Rivers AEA in 2018. Prior to serving as an instructional coach, he excelled as a high school math teacher, earning accolades including KIMT’s Golden Apple Award and the Comet Foundation’s Excellence Award for his significant contributions to education. In recognition of his leadership and service, David received the Wartburg College Young Alumni Award in 2019.
David’s passion lies in cultivating meaningful relationships grounded in service and trust. He champions the professional development of educators, creating a supportive environment where teachers and students alike can thrive. His commitment to personal growth and leadership is evident in his ability to adapt and excel in diverse educational settings, leveraging his extensive experience to foster inquiry-based learning and promote lifelong learning among students.
David’s collaborative approach and dedication to fostering constructive social interactions have earned him praise as a true leader who models continuous improvement and educational excellence. He remains committed to his mission of creating positive relationships with colleagues, students, and parents, embodying the spirit of a lifelong learner dedicated to the betterment of those he serves.
Skills and Services
Testimonials
David Voves’ expertise has been transformative in our school, enhancing teacher performance and student outcomes. David excels in facilitating professional learning, fostering reflective practices, and guiding data-driven instructional decisions. His support with our new mathematics curriculum and PLC processes has been invaluable. David brings clarity, purpose, and effective strategies to every collaboration, making him a trusted and impactful leader. He undoubtedly benefits those seeking to improve instructional quality and student success.
Chealsey Moen
Lincoln Elementary Principal
I have known David Voves for many years, and his skills as a reflective practitioner are surpassed only by his passion for supporting educators. As a teacher, coach, professional developer, and colleague, David pours his heart and soul into this pursuit of excellence in the classroom. You can count on David to care, to support, and to deliver!
Pete Hall
Author & Professional Development Leader
David has a vast knowledge bank of evidence-based pedagogy and educational research. His ability to move from theory to action and support teachers at all stages of their careers is unmatched. David’s positive demeanor and outlook on education are contagious! Not only has David helped me reach my goals as an instructional coach, but his work has impacted Oelwein Schools!
Deb Kaeppel
K-12 Instructional Coach, Oelwein Community School District
David Voves has played a vital role in my teaching journey. His genuine passion for helping others become their best selves is evident in everything he does. I always reach out to him to discuss my ideas and benefit from his expertise and advice. David is the most resourceful person I know and takes the time to find solutions to the challenges we face. His data-driven approach helps our staff stay focused on student needs and best practice strategies. I get excited every time he enters my classroom because I know he will ask questions that make me reflect on my teaching and spark curiosity about my students and my methods. David’s goal is to help both teachers and students reach their full potential and he has helped me become the educator that I am today.
Rachel Page
3rd Grade Teacher, Charles City Community School District
Kirstey Ewald
Kirstey Ewald is a veteran educator, spending the last 25+ years in the profession. Her dedication to the field of education allows her to have vast experience, knowledge, and expertise in teaching and learning.
One area of particular expertise is in literacy. Having taught in a high school English classroom for 20 years gives her first-hand experience in instructional design based on sound pedagogy and evidence-based practices. Building on her coursework from her Master’s degree in English, Teaching English in Secondary Schools (TESS) emphasis, and the experiential learning of many Iowa Writing Project opportunities, Kirstey’s classroom instruction continues to focus on helping students a) make meaning of various kinds of texts, b) write to show thinking, c) engage in a writing process, and d) embed accountable talk in collaborative conversations. Kirstey also provides ample opportunities for students to receive responses and feedback on their work from her and their peers.
She continues to support current and future Iowa English language arts teachers as a co-director of Iowa Writing Project (IWP) and executive director of Iowa Council of Teachers of English (ICTE). In her role as co-director, Kirstey helps IWP move forward in the vision and mission the organization has set by collaborating around a strategic plan, facilitating leadership meetings, and teaching different courses. Her role as executive director of ICTE has allowed her to be a consistent voice on the governing board.
Another important aspect of Kirstey’s range of experience is in school improvement. Starting her ninth year as a consultant, Kirstey has planned and presented learning around Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to ensure an entire staff has the same understanding of what this framework is, how it supports each student, and what their role is within it. Tied to MTSS, she has also facilitated conversations around the continuous school improvement process with district and building leadership teams along with teacher collaborative learning communities.
Skills and Services
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Refiner’s Fire Consulting offers academic and behavior services to support schools in refining strong systems and implementing evidence-based instructional strategies.