Teacher of the Year

Teacher of the Year is Washington's oldest and most prestigious teacher award program. Since 1963 Washington has selected one teacher as our state Teacher of the Year. Hundreds of teachers have been recognized as Regional and State Teachers of the Year.

Nominations open in the winter. In the spring, each Educational Service District selects a Regional Teacher of the Year to forward to the state program. The Washington State Teacher of the Year is selected in the fall by a selection committee of diverse education stakeholders and alumni Teachers of the Year. The committee uses a written application, panel and impromptu interviews, and short keynote to come to consensus on the recipient.

Meet the 2018 Washington State Teacher of the Year

Mandy Manning of the Newcomer Center at Ferris High School in Spokane is the 2018 Washington State Teacher of the Year. Mandy will spend the January - June 2018 traveling the state and writing, teaching, and speaking on behalf of the teaching profession. She is one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year.

Mandy Manning teaches English and math to refugee and immigrant students in the Newcomer Center at Ferris High School in Spokane. She uses experiential projects like map-making to help her students process trauma, celebrate their home countries and cultures, and learn about their new community. Mandy visits each of her student's homes to learn about their families and traditions and to foster strong relationships between home and school.

As an National Board Certified Teacher, Mandy is an ambassador, Jump Start Trainer, and cohort facilitator who encourages and guides teachers in their Board Certification. Colleagues praise Mandy for her focus on collaboration and determination to bring marginalized voices into decision-making. She is also a powerful voice for policy in her building and district and recently led a push to re-evaluate her school’s PBIS implementation. Mandy worked with administrators to write a revised plan that resulted in a 74% decrease in suspensions in the first year.

Mandy began her teaching career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia and was recently named an NEA Global Fellow.

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Video courtesy of Ready WA Coalition

WATAC is a project of Washington's Teacher of the Year program. We are staffed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, governed by alumni Teachers of the Year, and funded through a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. WATAC members speak with independent voices. Their statements do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or any other sponsors or partners.

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