Kat Locke-Jones, a Baltimore City middle school teacher, won the title of Maryland Teacher of the Year at a gala Friday night celebrating the state’s seven finalists for the distinction

Locke-Jones teaches English to seventh graders at Hampstead Hill Academy in Patterson Park and is known for her emphasis on student mental health. She attempts to create space in her classroom for students to feel safe and express what is bothering them during the achingly difficult middle school years.

Nicknamed LoJo by her students, she is now called LoJo throughout the building by staff and students.

She is the fifth city public school teacher to be named Maryland Teacher of the Year since 2014. She was selected by a panel of principals, educators, students and the business community, based on a variety of factors, including student achievement, teaching philosophy, involvement in her community and knowledge of education issues.

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In her acceptance speech, Locke-Jones, who is married to another city schoolteacher, spoke about the teachers in her lives who have influenced her, beginning with her five siblings in an Irish Catholic family to her fellow teachers at Hampstead Hill and her husband. She said their relationship has moved from planning field trips together to figuring out how to fit four car seats in the back of a vehicle.

They are the parents of three boys, and Locke-Jones is eight months pregnant with a girl.

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She asked everyone to thank a teacher, and then said, “I will spend the rest of my life thanking the teachers that changed mine.”

Locke-Jones’ students had the third-highest pass rates on the seventh grade English Language Arts state assessment last year, according to her principal, Matt Hornbeck. The city’s pass rate on English for seventh graders was 29%, the state’s was 47% and Locke-Jones’ pass rate is 82%, according to state data.

In addition, more than a quarter of her students scored at the advanced level, and she has nearly closed the achievement gaps between Black and Hispanic students and white students, as well as between those who are economically disadvantaged and those who aren’t.

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“She is a shining example of the excellent educators who invest their time and expertise in our students each day. We are so proud that she’s representing our great state this year,” Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Carey M. Wright said in a statement.

Locke-Jones goes on to compete for the National Teacher of the Year award in April. She joins other state winners from around the country in a program of events, speaking engagements and meetings. She will also be recognized at a White House event in the spring.

The other finalists were Stephanie Gerhold from Baltimore County, Brittany Rigdon from Cecil County, Jessica I. Nichols from Howard County, Kaitlyn Wright from Kent County, Jeremy Hillyard from Talbot County and Gabrielle C. Remington from Worcester County.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.