Riviera Schools

Dr. Kara Locke is a Washington, D.C. native, accomplished school leader, and proud mother of three. With over two decades of experience in both elementary and secondary education, she has served as a classroom teacher and school leader across public, private, and charter school settings. Dr. Locke began her career as a first-grade teacher in an elementary school and later taught high school English in the Washington, D.C., private school sector. She earned her undergraduate degree in English with a concentration in secondary education from Rhodes College and pursued advanced studies in school administration and organizational leadership at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, she was selected for the New Leaders for New Schools fellowship in Washington, D.C., a pivotal experience that propelled her from classroom teaching into school leadership, with a focus on school turnaround and transformation. After eight years leading public schools in Washington, D.C., Dr. Locke relocated to Miami, where she spent a decade opening and leading a public, college-preparatory boarding school. Following 18 years of charter school leadership, she returned to her independent school roots, joining Riviera Schools as Executive Director in 2023. Among her accolades, she was named Teacher of the Year in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and she has delivered keynote addresses at numerous conferences and high school commencement ceremonies. Dr. Locke is deeply committed to holistic education, believing that strong school culture, extracurricular engagement, athletics, and social-emotional skill development are powerful drivers of academic growth. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, staying active, spending time at the beach, and exploring the outdoors with her family.