Kim Bearden is the cofounder, executive director, and language arts teacher at the highly acclaimed Ron Clark Academy, an innovative middle school and educator-training facility in Atlanta. More than 50,000 educators from around the world have visited Kim’s classroom and have attended her workshops to learn better ways to engage students, promote academic rigor, and create a climate and culture that promote success.

In 2016, Kim was honored at the White House for being inducted into to the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of the Disney American Teacher Award for Humanities and the Milken Family Foundation Award for Excellence in Education. She was chosen to receive the InfluencHer Award, the University of Georgia Outstanding Educator Award, and the Turknett Character Award for Servant Leadership. Women Works Media Group named her one of Georgia’s Most Powerful and Influential Women.

Over the past thirty-one years, she has been a teacher, instructional lead teacher, curriculum director, school-board member, staff-development trainer, and middle-school principal. Kim’s first book, Crash Course: The Life Lessons My Students Taught Me, made several bestseller lists. Her second book, Talk to Me: Find the Right Words to Inspire, Encourage, and Get Things Done will be released in July of 2018.

Kim resides in a suburb of Atlanta with her husband Scotty and her three sons, Sisipho, Sabelo, and Phakamani. Her married daughter Madison lives close by.