Kathryn Fishman-Weaver (“Dr. KFW”) is an educator, author, and international lecturer. She is passionate about community and strengths-based approaches to teaching, learning, and research.
Dr. KFW serves as the Executive Director for Mizzou Academy, a global K-12 lab school at the University of Missouri. Mizzou Academy welcomes close to 7,000 students annually from 60+ countries. As the school director, Kathryn oversees a talented team of educators, curriculum developers, business and support specialists, and technologists who support teaching and learning with both compassion and rigor. Additionally, she coordinates professional development conferences and workshops around the world.
Professionally, Dr. KFW serves on the Cognia Global Commission and in network leadership with the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC).
She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (University of Missouri), an M.Ed. in Special Education (San Francisco State University), and a B.S. in Sociology (University of Missouri). Dr. KFW writes and publishes frequently on innovative practices in educational leadership and student support. She is the author/co-author of several bestselling books in education, including:
- Wholehearted Teaching of Gifted Young Women: Cultivating Courage, Connection, and Self-Care in Schools (2018),
- When Your Child Learns Differently: A Family Approach for Navigating Special Education Services with Love and High-Expectations (2019),
- Brain-Based Learning in the Gifted Classroom (Grades 3-6): Neuroscience Lessons for Cultivating Curiosity, Metacognition, Empathy, and Brain Plasticity (2020),
- Connected Classrooms: A People-Centered Approach for Online, Blended, and In-Person Learning (2022), co-authored with Stephanie Walter,
- Teaching Women’s and Gender Studies: Resources for Resistance, Representation, and Radical Hope Grades 6-8 (2023) co-authored with Jill Clingan,
- Teaching Women’s and Gender Studies: Resources for Resistance, Representation, and Radical Hope Grades 9-12 (2023) co-authored with Jill Clingan.
- Wholehearted School Leadership: Rewiring our Schools for Courage, Justice, Learning, and Connection (2025)
Her work has been featured on Edutopia, Principal Leadership, Teaching for High Potential, and the U.S. Department of Education’s teacher newsletters.
As an Associate Teaching Professor in the department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum (LTC), Dr. KFW teaches and coordinates courses on culturally responsive teaching, ethics, and community-engaged practices. Additionally, she serves as Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for youth navigating the foster care system.
When she isn’t the classroom, Dr. KFW’s favorite place to be is the water. As a distance swimmer and stand up paddle (SUP) enthusiast, she brings her passion for wellness to the community by coaching swimmers including specialized work as an adult learn-to-swim instructor, and by offering community yoga classes in spaces that don’t always have access to this practice.