Jennifer Jones, an English teacher at Lee’s Summit West High School in the Lee’s Summit R-VII School District, has been chosen as the 2025 Missouri Teacher of the Year. The selection was made by a committee of her peers and education partners throughout the state, marking her as the 56th recipient of this prestigious title 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. With a teaching career spanning 23 years, Jones has spent 19 of those years at Lee’s Summit West High School, where she teaches senior College Credit English and International Baccalaureate English Literature. She also serves as the language arts department co-chair.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Jones is actively involved in educational organizations. She is a member of the Greater Kansas City Writing Project, a network for writing teachers, and mentors for CAPPIES, a high school theatre critics program. She also produces a monthly open mic event at the Black Box Theatre, fostering creativity and collaboration among her students.
“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,” said Jones. “To help students transition from high school to college thinking, they must work together; in order to do so, they must feel connected to their classroom community.”
Missouri Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger praised Jones, saying, “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 how important it is to foster a life-long love of learning in our students and educators. She’s committed not just to academic success, but to the development of her students as future leaders.”
Jones emphasizes community building and critical thinking in her daily teaching, incorporating lesson plans that balance individual, peer, and whole-class activities. Her approach allows students to take risks in a supportive environment, which she believes is essential for learning.
Jones lives in Blue Springs and will be honored at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Teacher of the Year recognition event at Lake of the Ozarks on October 21. She will be joined by other finalists, semi-finalists, and Regional Teachers of the Year. As Missouri’s Teacher of the Year, Jones will go on to represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year program.
The Missouri Teacher of the Year program acknowledges the hard work of effective teachers who strive to provide quality education to their students. The 2024 Missouri Teacher of the Year, Greg Kester, is a social studies teacher from Potosi High School in the Potosi R-III School District.
