Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Katie Thomas, a kindergarten teacher at Edgewood Elementary School, teaches counting to her class on Feb. 10.
Homewood teacher Katie Thomas was named to the “Sweet 16” list of finalists for 2025-26 Alabama Teacher of the Year.
Thomas was named the Elementary Teacher of the Year for Homewood City Schools and teaches kindergarten at Edgewood Elementary. Her research-based and data-driven instructional strategies set her apart as a leader in her school community and beyond. Her constant pursuit of better learning strategies for students has earned her the opportunity to train teachers and write curriculum at both the state and local levels.
A statewide committee now will narrow the list down to four finalists before the Alabama Teacher of the Year is named in May. The 16 finalists were selected from among 155 teachers statewide, with two coming from each state Board of Education district.
Here is the complete list of finalists this year:
District 1:
- Angela Kirby, Gulf Shores Middle School
- Kristin Madsen, Gulf Shores High School
District 2:
- Amy Garrett, Center for Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning, Pike County
- Joshua Wine, Auburn Junior High School
District 3:
- Katie Collins, Bluff Park Elementary School, Hoover City Schools
- Kristin Bundren, Spain Park High School, Hoover City Schools
District 4:
- Katherine Thomas, Edgewood Elementary School, Homewood City Schools
- Aubrey Bennett, G.W. Carver High School, Birmingham City Schools
District 5:
- Lindsey Norris, Forest Avenue Elementary School, Montgomery County
- Roseann Byrd, Citronelle High School, Mobile County
District 6:
- Andrea Dade Horn, Locust Fork Elementary School, Blount County
- Heather Oden Pettit, Arab High School
District 7:
- Deidra Brewer, Highland Park and Webster elementary schools, Muscle Shoals City Schools
- Andrew Lee Mills, Florence Middle School
District 8:
- Catherine Megan Hockey, Rainbow Elementary School, Madison City Schools
- Amanda Gudmundsson, Athens High School
