LTHS Special Education Teacher Receives Award

LOCKPORT, IL — Lockport Township High School District 205 teacher Bridget Hope was selected as this year’s recipient of the William and Mildred Jackson Teacher Recognition Award, according to a news release from the District.

Hope has served in the Special Education Department for nearly 19 years.

The William and Mildred Jackson Teacher Recognition Award honors an educator who has exhibited special skills in the art and science of teaching, the District said. It is sponsored by LTHS alumni Robert Carr and Jill Jackson Carr through the Give Something Back Foundation. The award is named after Mrs. Carr’s late parents, William Jackson, who taught science and coached golf and track at LTHS from 1958 to 1982, and Mildred Jackson, who provided music lessons for many children in the Lockport community.

"To say that I am honored, humbled and grateful to receive this award would be such an understatement. Watching the videos of my students made my heart so full - not just to hear what they had to say but for their personalities and kindness to be seen by the staff in a way they may not have witnessed before," Hope said. "I am so lucky to be a part of this LTHS crew. Having people I can brainstorm, problem solve and laugh with have helped create a culture that makes the students want to be here every day. If they're here, we can teach them...and they'll probably end up teaching us a thing or two, too."

The award was presented in a video slideshow by her students as a surprise on May 26, during the LTHS all-employee meeting at the close of the school year, the District said. The recipient of this annual award, which includes a certificate and cash prize, is chosen by a committee of administrators, teachers, and students.

The award is facilitated by the LTHS Foundation.