Lake Stevens Board spotlights award-winning teacher, building plans and CTE outcomes

The Lake Stevens School District Board of Directors on Oct. 9 recognized staff and students and heard presentations on school improvement strategies and career-technical education outcomes.

Dr. Vivanco, superintendent of NWESD 189, presented Kelly Guilfoil with the 2025 NWESD 189 Regional Teacher of the Year award. In her remarks, Guilfoil said she will spend the year focusing on students after asking them what they wanted from school: "one quarter requested more relevant engagement in their lessons, another third desired meaningful relationships, and the final third felt overwhelmed by work and pressure." President Taylor praised Guilfoil and the district’s educators for the work they do.

Principals from several buildings described instructional priorities and early indicators of progress. North Lake Middle School Principal Brad Ables and Associate Principal Kelly Goodsmansen outlined a three-part focus on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), an attendance goal of 80 percent meeting a 90 percent-attendance threshold, and an 80 percent target for a favorable "sense of belonging" survey response. Goodsmansen reported that in 2023–24, 76.4 percent of North Lake students met the attendance goal (a 6.41 percentage-point increase from the prior year), with 6th grade at 80.5 percent and 7th grade at 72.3 percent. Ables described classroom strategies such as the "PROVE It" argumentative-writing routine, vocabulary instructional routines and collaborative educator teams to monitor progress.

Glenwood Elementary Principal Jen Johnson described the school's emphasis on intellectual engagement under the Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT), universal classroom practices (co-created agreements, morning meetings) and targeted Tier 2 interventions during WIN time. Johnson said Glenwood’s fall diagnostic literacy results are up about 5 percentage points from last fall, and she cited use of the Haggerty "Bridge the Gap" phonemic awareness intervention for 2nd graders.

CTE Director Dan Tedor presented the district’s Perkins-funded Career & Technical Education work and outcomes: 38 CTE staff (30 certified, eight classified), average FTEs (high school 439.08; middle school 113.89), a 95.5 percent four-year graduation rate for CTE completers versus 86.8 percent statewide, 87.4 percent earning industry-recognized credentials and 99.6 percent attaining post-secondary credits through dual credit. Tedor described travel, apprenticeship and partnership programs intended to expand access and reduce barriers to CTE pathways.

Superintendent Mary Templeton framed the presentations as part of the district’s strategic work to "get each kid there," and board members and student advisory council officers offered congratulations and emphasized student voice and community partnership.

The building presentations were informational; no policy action was taken in relation to the instructional or CTE presentations. The board adjourned following a brief executive session.