If you’ve ever been to the bottom of the CT building, you’re more than familiar with science teacher Lisa Bailey’s infectious smile and absolutely adorable dog Maggie. Compassionate, cheerful, and caring, Mrs. Bailey has certainly been a staple of the KO community. Now, after 19 wonderful years at KO, Mrs. Bailey is leaving to care for her father and aunt.
Mrs. Bailey has been teaching for 30 years and attributes her family to being influential in her career. “My whole family is full of educators,” Mrs. Bailey said. “My dad has been a teacher for a long long time and has also been a Head of School and even founded his own high school.” Mrs. Bailey explained that she has been working with young kids since she was a teenager. “I really caught the teaching bug early on.” she said.
Mrs. Bailey first came to KO in 2002 when she was first hired as a chemistry and biology teacher. Since then, she has taken on a multitude of roles in the community as a coach, faculty mentor, advisor, community service coordinator, and Green Team Faculty Advisor.
When she first came to KO, Mrs. Bailey felt like it was almost meant to be. “My dad founded a school back in Kentucky, and their mascot was actually the Wyverns,” Mrs. Bailey said. “It honestly seemed like it was a perfect fit, and the rest is all history.”
Above all else, Mrs. Bailey will miss the community at KO the most. “The community here is honestly unmatched,” Mrs. Bailey said. “Both of my kids grew up around here as well, and they often coached with me, came to performances, and even hung out over vacations. KO has really been an extended family for us, and it’s been amazing to work with such amazing colleagues and students.”
Mrs. Bailey has a love of animals that is unmatched by any other. She originally wanted to go to vet school but found other ways to channel her passion. “I’m currently certified in equine bodywork and work with horses every day as a vet tech,” Mrs. Bailey said. “I’ve been working with horses since I was 11 and even did that professionally for a while. I’m currently training two horses and a pony, and I sometimes periodically work for people as a freelancer.”
Mrs. Bailey plans on merging her love of teaching and animals after she leaves KO, working with young people through equine-assisted therapy as well as starting an equine therapy program for at-risk kids. “My favorite part of being a teacher was sharing my love of science and hopefully instilling a love of learning in students,” Mrs. Bailey said. “I absolutely love teaching – after all, it’s what I spent 30 years doing – and I’ll still do it, just in a different way without homework and grading.”
Mrs. Bailey will certainly be missed, and we wish her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors!
