After eight years leading the organization, and more than five decades working with students and educators, Maine School Management Association Executive Director Steven Bailey has announced his plans to retire later this year.
As executive director of both the Maine School Management Association and the Maine School Boards Association, Bailey has served as a steadfast advocate for public education, providing guidance, training, and support to hundreds of school districts, administrators and school board members.
"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for Steve Bailey’s unwavering dedication and tireless hard work,” said Faye Anderson, the President of the Maine School Boards Association and chair of the MSMA Policy Committee. “Steve's leadership, and his commitment to fostering excellence in our schools, has profoundly impacted our education community. We are grateful for the vision and passion he brought to his role, and we wish him all the best in this new chapter of his life as he embarks on his well-deserved retirement.”
Bailey’s career in education has taken him to schools from Penobscot to Cumberland and Lincoln Counties. Bailey began as a teacher, then principal, at the John R. Graham School, a small, K-8 community school in Veazie. After a two-year stint as a principal in Exeter, N.H., Bailey returned to Maine, serving a variety of roles in South Portland: principal, curriculum director and assistant superintendent.
Beginning in 2011, Bailey was the superintendent of AOS 93 in Lincoln County before taking over as executive director of the Maine School Management Association in the summer of 2017. In 2014, Bailey was named Maine Superintendent of the Year.
“52 years of consistent commitment to education is a long time. I have worked with some incredible educators, have learned so much and hope that my contributions can be lasting. As I leave MSMA, I just want to thank the staff of our Association. They are incredible and do amazing work. At this point in time, I am okay letting someone else take their turn to lead this wonderful organization,” Bailey said. “I am extremely proud of our work. I am hopeful that the ‘right next one’ can be selected to lead the excellent work and service our associations provide.”
Bailey, a resident of West Bath, says he looks forward to spending more time with his family and travelling with his wife. He will continue in his current role until June 30th.
The Maine School Management Association Action and Policy Committees have begun the process of searching for a replacement and will soon advertise for the opening.
The Maine School Management Association is a statewide, non-profit federation of local school boards and superintendents consisting of the Maine School Boards Association and the Maine School Superintendents Association. In addition to advocating for the interests of the state’s public school students and school units, MSMA also offers policy and insurance services to districts.