Washington honors regional and state educators at OSPI recognition ceremony

Superintendent Chris Reykdal opened the ceremony at Capitol High School in Olympia, welcomed attendees and viewers, and offered a land acknowledgement recognizing the Squaxin Island people before introducing the purpose of the event: honoring regional and state educators across Washington. "We are here to honor some pretty amazing folks," Reykdal said, calling educators the foundation of the state's economy and communities.

Assistant Superintendent Susan Lathrop introduced the regional winners in two groups: the 2024 Classified School Employees of the Year and the 2024 regional Teacher of the Year winners and finalists. Lathrop named classified winners including Tammy Ward (Mary Walker School District, ESD 101), Erica Apicio (Yakima Public Schools, ESD 105), Zac Claypool (Lexington Elementary, ESD 112), Kathy Dahlstrom (Wishka Valley School District, ESD 113), Carrie Johnson (Graywolf Elementary, Olympic ESD 114), Julie Hurt (Tukwila School District, Puget Sound ESD 121), Maria Vallee (Quincy School District, North Central ESD 171), and Carla Shanks Morales (Orcas Island Elementary School, Northwest ESD 189). She also announced regional teacher winners and finalists from across the state, citing their varied roles from kindergarten teachers to band and music directors.

Past state winners addressed the assembly before the state awards were presented. Hilda Veil, the 2023 State Classified School Employee of the Year, congratulated recipients and reflected on the dedication behind school support roles. Blair Penry, introduced as the 2024 State Teacher of the Year, urged new honorees to use the platform to "amplify the voices of those who aren't always heard," and to lean on one another in the year ahead.

Lathrop then announced the statewide winners. She named Carla Shanks Morales, paraeducator and safe advocate at Orcas Island Elementary School, as the 2024 State Classified School Employee of the Year; Morales responded, "That was a surprise," and thanked her community, parents and family. Lathrop announced Kim Bruner, a kindergarten teacher at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in the North Shore School District (Puget Sound ESD 121), as the State Teacher of the Year. Bruner used her acceptance remarks to emphasize inclusion and belonging in classrooms, saying she planned to use the platform "to talk about inclusion, but also belonging," and described collaborating with specialists and therapists to bring inclusive practices into the classroom.

Reykdal closed the program by thanking partners — including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession — and by emphasizing the scale of the public-education workforce in Washington, noting the cohort represents a small group among the state’s roughly 140,000 school employees. He invited attendees to refreshments and time with awardees as the program concluded.

The program honored dozens of regional finalists and winners; organizers photographed recipients on stage and encouraged attendees to meet the awardees after the formal program.