Washington State Teacher of the Year

The State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has announced the 2014 Washington State Teacher of the Year, Katie Brown of Shuksan Middle School in Bellingham. Brown, a graduate of Fort Vancouver High School, has taught at Shuksan Middle School for 11 years as both a classroom teacher and and ELL Specialist. As a state award recipient, she will go on as a national award nominee, in hopes of following fellow Washington teacher and 2013 national teacher of the year, Jeffrey Charbonneau. Other national award recipients from Washington state include Andrea Peterson of Monte Cristo Elementary School in Granite Falls, and Johnnie T. Dennis of Walla Walla High School.

State teacher of the year nominations for 2014 are now closed, but nominations for 2015 will open in January 2014. Nominations are processed through Washington’s educational service districts and tribal schools, who each select a regional finalist. The state selection committee then reviews an application and interviews each finalist to make its decision. For information on contacting a regional coordinator about a nomination, visit www.k12.wa.us/educationawards.