Blue Valley Schools is proud to congratulate district educators Hadley Schafer and Kate Gabel, who have been selected as the district’s nominees for the 2027 Kansas Horizon Award.
The Kansas State Department of Education award program recognizes educators who excelled in a manner that sets them apart as outstanding during their first year in the classroom.
Hadley Schafer, a kindergarten teacher at Leawood Elementary, began her teaching career with Blue Valley Schools in 2025.
Hadley uses student-driven data and small-group instruction to tailor learning to students’ needs. She builds classroom routines that encourage students to problem-solve, make choices and take greater ownership of her learning.
“Through hands-on, experiential learning, collaboration, modeling and reflective conversations, I create a classroom where students are actively engaged and developing the skills needed to become lifelong learners while feeling respected, supported and capable of succeeding,” Schafer said.
Kate Gabel, a math teacher at Blue Valley Northwest, started her teaching career with Blue Valley Schools in 2025.
Kate creates a collaborative environment where students are encouraged to take risks, learn from mistakes and persevere through challenges. Her approach helps students develop the problem-solving skills and independence to determine her next steps.
“I do not need every student to leave my classroom loving math,” Gabel said. “I want them to leave knowing they are capable of doing it. My hope is that the student who enters saying, ‘I am not a math person,’ leaves believing, ‘I am a math person.’”
Four regional selection committees will review the state’s nominees and select up to four elementary educators and four secondary educators per region for a possible total of 32 Kansas Horizon Award honorees.
