Jefferson City News

Jennifer Jones, an English teacher at Lee’s Summit West High School in the Lee’s Summit R-VII School District, has been named the 2025 Missouri Teacher of the Year. She was selected by a committee comprising her peers and education partners across the state. This honor marks her as the 56th recipient since the program began in 1957.

Jones holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Minnesota at Morris and a Master of Education in Counseling and Educational Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Over her 23-year teaching career, she has spent 19 years at Lee’s Summit West High School. There, she teaches senior College Credit English and International Baccalaureate English Literature while serving as co-chair of the language arts department. Additionally, she is involved with the Greater Kansas City Writing Project, mentors for CAPPIES—a high school theatre critics organization—and produces a monthly open mic event at the Black Box Theatre.

“In my best moments as a teacher, the students function nearly independently from me, relying instead on each other and their own thinking to solve the complex and important challenges inherent in writing and reading,” Jones stated. “In order for students to stretch their high school brains toward college thinking, they must work together; in order to work together, they must feel connected to the classroom community.”

Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger praised Jones: “Missouri is fortunate to have so many passionate, dedicated educators, and Jennifer is a wonderful example of the best of our teacher workforce. Every day Jennifer demonstrates just how important it is to foster a life-long love of learning in both our students and our educators. And she’s committed not just to students’ academic success, but how they develop as people and future leaders.”

Jones emphasizes building community and fostering critical thinking among her students through lesson plans that incorporate individual, peer, and whole-class activities.

Residing in Blue Springs, Jones will be honored at DESE’s Teacher of the Year recognition event at Lake of the Ozarks on Monday, October 21. She will join other finalists, semi-finalists, and Regional Teachers of the Year there. Following this recognition, Jones will represent Missouri in the National Teacher of the Year program.

The Missouri Teacher of the Year program acknowledges effective teachers who strive tirelessly to provide quality education. Greg Kester from Potosi R-III School District's Potosi High School was recognized as Missouri Teacher of the Year for 2024.