Kimberly Hunter, reading interventionist at Green Valley Elementary School, has a long-standing history at Denver Public Schools (DPS). Growing up in the Central Park neighborhood in Denver, she attended Ashley Elementary School, Hamilton Middle School and was a proud graduate of the George Washington High School class of 1989. She is proud to be a part of the DPS community for the past 26 years.
As a reading interventionist, Kimberly Hunter works with students in small groups to help improve student literacy development. She helps identify the precise reading difficulties — like issues with phonics, decoding, or comprehension — and then provides intensive, evidence-based instruction in small groups or one-on-one sessions. She works to monitor progress closely, and collaborates with classroom teachers to help struggling readers build the essential skills they need to become confident and proficient.
Before graduating high school, she was on track to finding clerical work but was influenced by her mother, a DPS staff member at the testing department and George Washington High School retiree, to apply to be a paraprofessional. She found a home at Mitchell Montessori where she spent time as both a music and instructional paraprofessional. It was there that she discovered her passion for small group instructional work.
Now, having worked as a teacher, a member of school administration and even as a Math Fellow Coordinator, Ms. Hunter truly embodies what it means to be a proud member of DPS.
The idea of being a proud DPS educator is infused in every action she takes. Her commitment starts with doing her absolute best work, not just for herself, but for the students and staff around her. She is immensely proud to be a woman of color in leadership roles, particularly in spaces like Green Valley where her presence can be truly transformative. She is honored to “be a role model for students” who look like her and who share similar life experiences.
“It’s about instilling the essential love of reading in every child,” she said.
Her pride extends beyond her classroom and extends to students she doesn't directly interact with to find their breakthrough moments.
As a proud DPS graduate, serving students in the very district that shaped her own journey means the world to her. It's a full-circle moment where she gets to stand as a strong, visible leader in her school community. She is driven by the hope of being an impactful person in the lives of students every day. She aspires to be the kind of educator they will reach back out to years from now, visiting her as successful adults, allowing her to witness the seeds they planted together come to full fruition.
Her professional trajectory, from paraprofessional, to teacher, to assistant principal, to her current role as an interventionist, is the clearest testament to her perseverance. Starting as a paraprofessional was the vital first step that kicked off this incredible journey. She never stopped longing to grow, eventually earning her Master of Arts in Curriculum Arts and Instruction with an emphasis in reading, along with her principal's license from CU Denver. Whether leading a small literacy group or coaching teachers as an Assistant Principal at Ashley Elementary, this winding path has highlighted one unchanging truth: she is, at her core, a proud educator. Even after some career trials, she is grateful that the path led her back to the joyful work of the classroom.
When asked how she knows she’s making an impact in these students' lives, she said “At the end of the day, if I can make my students walk out of my room feeling good about themselves, I know I’ve won, and they’ve won.”
The challenges she faced in her life were not “roadblocks”. They were the building blocks that shaped her pride. Not knowing how to navigate the complex college process was daunting. She started the community college route and eventually transferred to Metro State University Denver (MSU Denver). Thinking back on the personal, financial, and guidance struggles, her deepest pride lies in the simple fact that she did not give up. She realized that, through all the struggles and that sprinkle of feeling lost, she was the only person who always had her back. That self-belief and perseverance made the impossible possible. Today, she is proud that her unwavering belief in the importance of her work is translating directly into a powerful, positive impact on her students. We are lucky to have someone as amazing, caring and resilient as Kimberly Hunter in our DPS community.