Ms. Hayes has taught in traditional K-12 and independent school settings both locally and abroad with a consistent focus on student-centered learning that balances academic rigor with attention to students’ social-emotional growth and development.

After beginning her teaching career at Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California where she taught Spanish and English as a Second Language, Kathryn Hayes had the opportunity to move to Santiago, Chile to teach at the Instituto Chileno Norteamericano. She spent six years working both as a classroom teacher and later as a lead teacher mentoring new educators on best practices for the language classroom. Upon her return to the United States, she pursued her Master’s Degree in Education at New York University and then spent several years developing curriculum and professional development for training teachers both in university and non-university settings. She served as the Director of Bilingual Programs for the Relay Graduate School of Education and directly prior to joining the Geffen Academy, she was serving as the Project Director for the Supporting Teacher Effectiveness Project, a national teacher support and development program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since joining Geffen Academy as a Founding Educator in 2017, Ms. Hayes has taught Middle and Upper School Spanish and served as the inaugural Dean of Instruction prior to becoming the Middle School Division Director.