Morgan State graduate Otis Eldridge named Baltimore City schools teacher of the year

A classroom visit from Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises turned Hamilton Elementary/Middle School into the scene of a districtwide celebration when Otis Eldridge was named Baltimore City schools’ 2026 Teacher of the Year. The honor recognized a teacher who works daily as band director, music teacher and arts integration specialist in Northeast Baltimore, where students know him as “Mr. E.”

Eldridge was one of three finalists announced by City Schools on April 23, 2026. The other finalists were Torrion L. Carter of Cross Country Elementary/Middle and Robert W. Coleman Elementary, and Yu-Tung “Jill” Chen of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. The district said the winner was chosen based on teaching experience, commitment to students, leadership, role-model status in school and community, and teacher evaluations.

For Hamilton, the award put a spotlight on a school arts program that has lasted for more than 30 years without interruption. The school says its student body reflects the economic, linguistic and racial diversity of Northeast Baltimore, making the band room one of the school’s most visible spaces for connection across backgrounds. Eldridge’s work sits at the center of that effort, blending music instruction with arts integration in a school setting where consistency matters.

Eldridge has taught for 11 years across the Mid-Atlantic region and already had earned recognition from City Schools as an Outstanding Instrumental Music Teacher and a Trailblazer Award honoree. He is also a three-time Morgan State University graduate, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2009, a Master of Arts in Teaching in 2011 and a Doctor of Education in Urban Educational Leadership in 2025.

Morgan State said the Teacher of the Year honor comes with classroom supplies for Eldridge’s students, prize money, a vacation and an automatic chance to compete for Maryland State Teacher of the Year. The university also noted that this is the second recent Teacher of the Year win with a Morgan connection, following Brianna Ross, who was named Baltimore County Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2021.

Beyond Hamilton, Eldridge serves as Member-at-Large for the Maryland Music Educators Association, a role that places him inside state arts education policy at the same time he is teaching Baltimore City children. For City Schools, his selection signals the kind of classroom leadership the district says it wants to elevate: a teacher rooted in Baltimore, trained in Baltimore and working in a school where the arts remain a durable part of daily life.