At Kairos Academies, we believe that culture is not just about what we say—it’s about what we do. Our culture drives behavior, and behavior delivers results. As Coach Tim Kight, leadership expert and founder of Focus 3, states, “Culture's job is to drive the behavior that produces the results that you want.” We’ve embraced this philosophy, shaping a culture built on our core values of Love, Excellence, Agency, and Diversity. This foundation isn’t just aspirational; it’s actionable, and it has already led to remarkable success within our classrooms and beyond.
Over the past two years, we’ve celebrated the excellence of our educators by offering financial awards for outstanding performance. What began as a single award has now expanded into distinct honors for both middle school and high school teachers, highlighting the incredible contributions of our faculty. These awards reflect not only the results our teachers are delivering but also the culture they embody—one that fosters commitment, innovation, and excellence.
Our Middle School Teacher of the Year, Mx. Lauren Wood, is a shining example of this. As our very first band teacher, Lauren joined Kairos just last year, taking on the enormous task of building a middle school band program from scratch. The results? Nothing short of extraordinary. From organizing fundraisers to securing instrument donations to holding multiple concerts in their first year, Lauren’s energy and passion have been transformative for our students–many of whom had never played an instrument before!
For Lauren, teaching is about those pivotal “lightbulb” moments: “My favorite part of teaching is when a student finally has a ‘lightbulb’ moment—when something they’ve been struggling with clicks. That moment is what drives me.” Lauren’s commitment to excellence is also reflected in their understanding of the importance of modeling success. “Students act based on what they see. If we want our students to be excellent, we have to model excellence,” they note. Lauren’s impact doesn’t stop with their students; they’re committed to supporting their fellow teachers, sharing lessons from their own journey to help others navigate the challenges of education. As they say, “Teaching is a team job. We have to work together and support each other to be successful.”
At the high school level, we are equally proud of Mrs. Maddi Hausdorf, our High School Teacher of the Year. As our first high school performing arts teacher, Maddi has inspired students to explore both acting and technical roles through standout theater productions such as She Kills Monsters and A Doll’s House. Just like our band concerts, these performances have created much-needed opportunities for families to come together to love and celebrate their students’ accomplishments. Maddi has also played a pivotal role in establishing Kairos’ chapter of the International Thespian Society, giving our students the opportunity to receive national recognition for their work.
For Maddi, her motivation is simple but powerful: “The thing that consistently gets me to school is the kids. Watching them create art and understand theater on a deeper level is an incredible thing to experience.” Maddi’s focus on creating a culture of excellence is clear. “Providing examples of excellence around the school encourages and inspires students to be their best—not only as high schoolers, but in life beyond school,” she explains. Like Lauren, Maddi is committed to collaboration, believing that “cross-subject partnerships” can help Kairos thrive as a whole school community.
At Kairos, we know that building a culture of excellence requires intentional effort. As Tim Kight wisely states, “If your culture is strong, it produces exceptional behavior.” With educators like Lauren and Maddi leading the way, we’re confident that the culture we’re creating will continue to drive the behaviors—and results—that will empower our students to thrive both in school and in life.