Kirby Schoephoerster, EdD is the Senior Program Director at the National Math Foundation (NMF). Kirby received his BA from St. Olaf College and his MA from Washington University in St. Louis in Classical Studies. In August 2025, Kirby received his doctorate in education through Vanderbilt University’s Leadership and Learning in Organizations (LLO) program. His doctoral capstone project explored the use of Networked Improvement Communities (NIC) to support effective organizational change efforts. His passion lies in continuous improvement and supporting educational institutions with the evidence-based tools to create and sustain systems-level change for the communities they serve.
Kirby’s years of educational leadership experience rests within the fields of grant and research management, professional learning design, and nonprofit administration. He also serves as a thought leader on the Math Advisory Council for Renaissance Learning. His recent work at the NMF includes facilitating organizational strategy development, coordinating educational research projects with community partners, and designing and implementing professional learning events for mathematics educators and school administrators. Kirby has written and presented extensively on the topics of movement-based mathematics instruction, professional learning design, and the development of positive mathematics attitudes. He currently has a book under publication through ASCD publishing on the science and practice of movement-based learning in the mathematics classroom.
As a lifelong learning advocate, Kirby’s vision is to bridge research and practice around effective, inclusive, and systems-oriented educational design so that every learner has access to transformative educational experiences.