Hickman Mills NEA member named 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announces Kimberly Sixta, Hickman Mills NEA member, as the 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year. Sixta is a passionate Social Studies teacher at Ruskin High School in the Hickman Mills C-1 School District in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Kimberly Sixta will now advance to represent Missouri in the prestigious National Teacher of the Year program.

Sixta has been recognized for her extraordinary dedication, creativity, and commitment to her students. In her application, she wrote the following regarding her students:  

I encourage students to see challenges as opportunities and failure as a step toward growth. One of the first things I tell them is, "Every setback is the opportunity for a comeback.” Engagement doesn’t look the same for every learner, and I prioritize meeting students where they are.

✨ Congratulations, 

Kimberly! You inspire us all! ✨

Katie Roe, Hickman Mills C-1 Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services, commends Sixta's character and teaching style as exemplified in the following passages: 

Ms. Sixta exemplifies what it means to be a student-centered educator. Her passion for continuous learning, both for herself and her students, is unmatched. She brings rigor, relevance, and high expectations to her classroom every day, balancing firm standards with the compassion and support students need to meet and exceed them. While she leads with a warm smile, students clearly understand that she means business. Her classroom is a place of both accountability and encouragement, where students are challenged and celebrated in equal measure.

Colleagues respect her deeply—not only for her instructional excellence, but for the trust and confidence she inspires. She is the kind of educator who others naturally turn to for guidance, clarity, and support. Ms. Sixta is a voice of reason, a steady presence in times of uncertainty, and someone who can always be counted on to do what is best for students and the school.

The 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year honors not just Kimberly’s incredible achievements, but also the strength, excellence, and transformative power of Missouri’s educators.

Kimberly will be celebrated at DESE’s Teacher of the Year Recognition Event on Monday, October 27, alongside Missouri’s outstanding finalists, semi-finalists, and Regional Teachers of the Year.

From a field of more than 30 Regional Teachers of the Year, the selection was narrowed to seven excellent educators. Missouri National Education Association is proud to represent five of the seven Missouri Teacher of the Year finalists.