Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 18, 2003
Contact:  Kirsten Kendrick, Governor’s Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Kim Schmanke, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 360-725-6015

Gov. Gary Locke, Superintendent of Public Instruction Honor State’s Teacher of the Year

Gov. Gary Locke and Terry Bergeson, state superintendent of public instruction, today honored Veronique Paquette, a second grade teacher at Kenroy Elementary School in East Wenatchee, as the 2003 Washington State Teacher of the Year.

Locke and Bergeson congratulated Paquette, the state’s 41st Teacher of the Year, and eight regional Teachers of the Year during an afternoon awards program in Olympia. The program is part of a national initiative to recognize exceptional elementary and secondary classroom educators.

“Today we are in the presence of greatness,” Locke said. “Great teachers are the soul of an enlightened society. And Veronique is the epitome of a great teacher. Her passion for science and space exploration has carried over in wonderfully innovative and effective ways into her teaching. I congratulate her and the eight regional Teachers of the Year for inspiring our children everyday.”

Paquette has been an educator for 16 years. She has twice been selected as Science Teacher of the Year for Washington state and has been selected to go to Houston for Space Camp and California to attend a NASA workshop. In the classroom, Paquette uses science to capture her students’ imagination and help motivate learning.

“It is always the best part of my job to be able to recognize and honor outstanding educators,” Bergeson said. “Excellent teachers are invaluable to the process of providing a high-quality education to our state’s children. I applaud each of the nine educators with us today for their dedication and commitment to providing a bright future for their students.”

The governor and the school superintendent honored the following regional Teacher of the Year finalists from the state’s educational service districts (ESDs):
· Cheryl Johnson, West Valley School District, ESD 101
· Alix Carlson, Grandview School District, ESD 105
· Rosemary Fryer, Evergreen School District, ESD 112
· Laura Carle, Aberdeen School District, ESD 113
· Lisa Hodin, South Kitsap School District, ESD 114
· Tracy Livingston, White River School District, ESD 121
· Paul Dann, Richland School District, ESD 123
· BethAnne Crissy, Bellingham School District, ESD 189

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction administers the state’s Teacher of the Year program with support from the private sector.

Established in 1963, the program aims to increase awareness of the professional classroom teacher and his or her contribution to the education of children, provide unique teaching and learning opportunities for chosen teachers of the year, facilitate interaction and communication between outstanding teachers, and establish public/private partnerships that will support, educate and honor regional and state teachers of the year.

“We want our children to be committed, creative, hard-working and compassionate,” Locke said. “We need to provide them with the tools to lead happy and fulfilling lives. That’s why teaching and great teachers are so vital.”

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Related Links:
- K-12 Web site
- Governor's Web site

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