Finalists Selected for District Teacher of the Year 2026
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Rusty Anderson
Moore Public Schools' Top 5 Finalists for the 2025-26 District Teacher of the Year.
Moore Public Schools surprised five teachers this week as the Top 5 Finalists for the 2025-26 District Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced during the Excellence in Education Ceremony on April 10.
The five finalists were selected from among all MPS school site 2025-26 Teachers of the Year who were named in the fall semester. The winner will compete for the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Oklahoma Teacher of the Year honor, to be announced in fall 2026.
Today, MPS Superintendent Dr. Robert Romines, Social Studies/Business/Fine Arts Education Coordinator David Burton, and multiple administrative staff members surprised each of the finalists in person with large banners and applause from students and colleagues.
Jessica Graham teaches 7th and 8th-grade Yearbook and STEM classes at Brink Junior High. She holds an associate degree in Accounting from Northeast Mississippi Community College and a bachelor's and master's degree in Accounting from Freed-Hardeman University. Graham has served as the department head of the electives department representatives since 2018 and is an active member of multiple professional educator groups. She has been an educator for 12 years.
Graham was elected as Teacher of the Year for Brink in 2018 and has earned multiple classroom grants over the years. While growing up, Graham played teacher in many ways, then began teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.
"I was successful in the business and accounting world, but I never felt truly fulfilled. There was a part of me that felt empty, and I could not quite figure out why. I found myself reflecting on the teachers who shaped my life. The educators who poured into me, believed in me, and helped guide my future were so monumental in my life. That reflection led me to the realization that I had always been meant to teach," she said.
Soon after, she accepted a position as a mentoring coordinator in her hometown. She began researching the alternative certification to start teaching and secured her own classroom in 2012.
Cathy Lockhart is a special education and adult transition teacher at Southmoore High School and has worked as an educator for 12 years. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Campbell University and a Master's degree in Special Education from the University of Oklahoma.
She is the SHS Special Olympics coach, is a member of TEAM, the MPS teachers' union and is an active member of various professional groups. She served as the special education department chair while a teacher at Southridge Junior High and served as a mentor teacher during her time there. Lockhart was also named an MPS site Teacher of the Year in 2018-19 and again in 2020-2021 while at Southridge.
Lockhart notes that the special education teachers who served her family member and encouraged her to learn alongside them are who inspired her to pursue a career in the industry. She first joined MPS as a paraprofessional with the special education team. She said it can be the key to gaining insight into students' daily experiences and needs. This time and experience sparked her desire to earn a degree in special education.
"My experiences – as both a parent and an educator – continue to shape my purpose: to advocate for inclusive education and to enhance the lives of the students, families and the educators I am privileged to serve," said Lockhart.
Brittany Lusk is a Title I literacy coach for 7th and 8th-grade at Central Junior High and has been an educator for 10 years. She holds an associate degree in English Education from Rose State College, a bachelor's degree in English Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and a master's degree in Education, Administration, Curriculum and Supervision from OU.
Lusk has served as the English Language Arts department chair, and a mentor teacher and is an active member of the Education Association of Moore.
"I let my students know early in the year that if they struggle with reading and learning that I did, too. Students who are neurodivergent or tier two and three students thrive in my classroom because I am understanding yet consistent," said Lusk.
She remembers two particular teachers during her time as an MPS student at Highland West Junior High (Sally Lawrence) and Southmoore High School (Brook Lehew) who influenced her career decision through their passion for teaching and helping students feel safe to learn and grow.
Jamie Maples teaches 1st-grade at Briarwood Elementary and has been an educator for 18 years. She holds bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and has a master's degree in Education Administration from OU.
She is an active member of the Oklahoma Science Teaching Association and serves as a mentor teacher and a Leader in Me Lighthouse Coordinator. She was named the Rose State Golden Apple Teacher of the Year and was named an MPS site Teacher of the Year in 2013.
Maples said, "Teaching wasn’t a decision I stumbled into; it is what I was meant to do. Even as a child, the classroom felt like a second home, a place overflowing with discovery, connection, and purpose.
"As I reflect on my life and my seventeen years as an educator, I can clearly trace the influences, values, and experiences that led me to this profession, as well as the contributions I am most proud to have made in the field of education."
Stacee Schubach is a functional teacher for K-6th grade at Apple Creek Elementary and has been an educator for 16 years. She holds an associate degree in Chemistry from Oklahoma City Community College and a bachelor's degree in Science from OU. She also has a master's degree in Special Education and Clinical Mental Health and Counseling from OU. She is Board Certified in Behavioral Analysis.
She serves as a mentor teacher and is an active member of multiple professional education organizations and she also serves as a Leader in Me Lighthouse sponsor at Apple Creek. She is also the MPS Functional District Mentor. She was a South Oklahoma City Chamber MPS Teacher of the Year nominee in 2024 and was named the Apple Creek Teacher of the Year in 2018.
Early elementary teachers had a significant impact on how Schubach saw and felt about educators and about the power they have through teaching and guiding their students to achieve and grow. Her teachers are what drew her to the education industry.
Schubach said, "I consider mentoring to be my greatest contribution because of the impact it has to reach so many individuals. By assisting just one teacher, I am making a difference for all of their students.
"By collaborating with others and encouraging networking, I am encouraging a supportive work environment with which we can build each other up and brainstorm ideas to improve our teaching and help more students."