Lisa D. Leaheey has taught at North Providence High School in North Providence, Rhode Island, for the entirety of her 23-year career. She currently teaches freshmen in English I and seniors in Advanced Placement literature and composition and has taught online with VHS Learning since 2016. Leaheey holds a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education (English) and a Master of Arts in English from Rhode Island College, and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction with a focus in technology integration from Southern New Hampshire University. Leaheey serves as chair of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) school accreditation visiting committees and served on NEASC’s Commission on Public Elementary, Middle and Secondary Schools. Leaheey served for three years as an instructional coach with Rhode Island’s Highlander Institute, working with district leaders to foster purposeful technology integration into classrooms.

A voracious reader and movie buff, Leaheey connects student experiences with stories found in print and on film. When Leaheey discovered blended learning, she connected immediately with the tenets of student choice, self-paced learning and boisterous classroom spaces. Leaheey always prioritizes what her students need to achieve, seeking out new ways to engage her students while challenging their strengths, supporting their needs and building towards their not-too-distant futures.

Leaheey hails from a family of teachers, knowing since she was a child that she belongs in the classroom. Her driving focus is encouraging her students to open their minds to new perceptions of the world and developing lasting connections through narrative.