Kim Carter, Executive Director
Kim Carter, founder and Executive Director of the Q.E.D. Foundation, is committed to creating, inspiring, cultivating, and sustaining communities where each individual is empowered to use his or her unique voice effectively and with integrity in co-creating our public world.
Passionately curious and a zealous learner, her librarian roots are evident in the constantly refreshed information she brings to developing and supporting learner-centered systems and practices that enable student agency, equity, and community collaboration.
With more than 4 decades of local, state, and national education redesign experience, facilitating youth, adult, and system capacities for co-creating learning communities and co-constructing learning experiences, Kim has been involved in the founding and launch of four schools, one of which served as an influencing catalyst for New Hampshire’s competency-based graduation movement.
Kim was the 1991 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year, 1996 New Hampshire Media Educator of the Year, 2021 New Hampshire Leader of the Year, and a first cohort Distinguished Fellow with Students at the Center Research Collaborative. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Arizona.
Betsey Bradley, Community Director
Betsey Bradley is the Community Director with the QED Foundation, where she is responsible for supporting educators and parents and promoting the organization’s mission of understanding and addressing diverse learning needs. With over 20 years of experience working with the QED’s AKOM Neurodevelopmental Framework for Learning, Betsey has been instrumental in implementing tools that support neurodiverse learners and promote inclusive education practices.
As a dedicated homeschool mom, Betsey advocates for personalized education, driven by her passion for nurturing a love of learning in her own child. She embraces the homeschooling journey with enthusiasm and creativity, continually exploring new methods to enhance the learning experience. Her commitment to personalized education is reflected in her advocacy work, where she supports other families in their homeschool educational journeys.
Kari Thierer, Ed.D., Associate
Kari Thierer is an assistant teaching professor at Northeastern University in the Graduate School of Education and a consultant for the Q.E.D. Foundation. Her areas of expertise include student-centered learning, career and technical education, and authentic assessment. Dr. Thierer has 30 years of experience providing technical assistance and supporting research and evaluation efforts in schools, districts, state and federal education agencies, and nonprofit education organizations throughout the United States. Her work experience includes leading two national education nonprofits providing student-centered learning and educator support, serving as an Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, and having the unique background of supporting educators from preschool through college.
Kari is fiercely dedicated to ensuring that all students and families are supported in their education endeavors and has worked extensively with traditionally underserved communities. She is committed to working with organizations to demonstrate ways to support positive student outcomes while also informing and pushing for education policy changes that support both traditional and non-traditional learners.