Kim Buckheit
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Maryland Center for School Safety;
2024
Kim Buckheit is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS), supporting efforts to keep Maryland public, nonpublic, and private schools safe for learning and teaching. Prior to her role at MCSS, she was Section Chief for School Climate and Safety at the Maryland State Department of Education. Before moving into state government, she spent 19 years as a public school Principal, serving in local, state, and national leadership positions. Kim was named a “National Distinguished Principal” by NAESP and “Maine Middle Level Principal of the Year” in 2013. NASSP recognized her innovative school leadership in 2014, naming Troy Howard Middle School one of ten “BreakThrough Schools” nationally. She remains a passionate advocate for educational leadership, serving as a mentor, coach, and teacher.
My network of professionals working on countering hate in all its forms grew exponentially after attending Eradicate Hate in 2021. The myriad voices represented at Eradicate Hate, from big tech companies to academic researchers to those with lived experience, reinforced to me the importance of cross-cutting and collaborative approaches to counter hate and its devastating impacts on society. I’ve been fortunate to sustain and build those networks with many of those I met at Eradicate Hate in 2021.
