Narragansett High School's Hayes-Leite Named 2018 RI Teacher of the Year

Narragansett High School's Hayes-Leite Named 2018 RI Teacher of the Year

Narragansett High School’s Kristin Hayes-Leite has been named as the 2018 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made during a surprise ceremony featuring Governor Gina Raimondo and Commissioner of Education Ken Wagner on Thursday. 

"Kristin embodies everything that we look for in great teachers. She is a leader, she is innovative, she is compassionate, and she is completely committed to her students. Congratulations to Kristin and the entire Narragansett High School community for being an example of what can happen when we foster strong teaching and learning,” said Governor Gina Raimondo. 

As Teacher of the Year, Hayes-Leite will work with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) through the 2017-2018 school year to develop policy, lead professional development, and help support education across the state. 

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She also becomes eligible to represent Rhode Island as the National Teacher of the Year. 

Kristin Hayes-Leite

At Narragansett High School, Hayes-Leite teaches social studies and has created and teaches new elective courses, including Contemporary Issues, and Law and Society. 

"In this field of public education, I am surrounded by heroes: students, teachers, families, and administrators, who individually persist in the epic struggle to obtain or deliver a quality education. It is time to stand up for one another and take pride in public education," Hayes-Leite wrote in her Teacher of the Year application. 

She is also a member of the Blended Learning Catalyst Team and was recently named to Narragansett High School's Fuse Architect pilot design team, which is charged with creating and piloting systems to increase personalization and student engagement in learning.

Hayes-Leite is a graduate of Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire, and completed Master's degrees in both teaching and reading from Rhode Island College. 

She is a member of the National Council on the Social Studies, the Rhode Island Society of Technology Educators, and the International Reading Association. 

She was the 2016 Narragansett Employee of the Year, and was awarded the Horace Mann Abraham Lincoln Fellowship in 2010.