Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 11, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke names Professional Educator Standards Board members

SEATTLE - Returning to his elementary school alma mater with one of his favorite teachers by his side, Gov. Gary Locke announced his selections for the newly created Professional Educator Standards Board today at Beacon Hill Elementary School.

The 19-member board, comprised mainly of educators, will help ensure the highest standards for all educators certified by the state, including teachers, principals, administrators, and other education specialists. The board will have authority for overseeing new basic skills and subject matter assessments, which will be required of all new teachers prior to state certification. In addition, the board will advise the state board of education, superintendent of public instruction, the legislature, and the governor on the full range of issues affecting educator professions, including recruitment, hiring, certification, mentoring, professional development, retention, evaluation, and revocation and suspension of licensure.

Locke proposed the creation of the board during the 2000 Legislative session to ensure that children in Washington are taught by the highest-quality teachers.

"I pushed for this board because I believe for Washington to set and uphold the highest standards for education professionals, it must be the professionals themselves at the helm, crafting the changes we need to make," Locke said. "Creating this board takes an important step in that direction - in giving the profession the authority and responsibility for continuous improvement."

Joining Locke in the announcement was Daniel Greften, Locke's sixth-grade teacher at Beacon Hill Elementary School. Locke asked Greften to stand by his side to show how a caring teacher can have an effect on a struggling child.

"Mr. Greften taught me to have confidence in myself, and he encouraged me to pursue the things I was interested in," Locke said. "Every child deserves to have a teacher like Mr. Greften."

The Professional Educator Standards Board members include:

Tom Charouhas, of Kirkland, representing public school teachers, will chair the board. He is a science and technology teacher at Rose Hill Junior High School in Redmond.

Tim Knue, of Mount Vernon, representing public school teachers, is an agricultural teacher at Mount Vernon High School.

Helen Louise Nelson-Throssell, of Lakewood, representing public school teachers, is a mathematics teacher at Lincoln High School in Tacoma.

Kathryn A. Nelson, of Bellevue, representing private school teachers, is a special education teacher at Hamlin Robinson School in Seattle.

Carolyn Bradley, of Deming, representing public school teachers, is a fourth-grade teacher at Isom Intermediate School in Lynden.

Ron Scutt, of Stehekin, representing public school teachers, is a 1996 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award winner.

Yvonne Ullas, of Yakima, representing public school teachers, is a first-grade teacher at Naches Primary School in Yakima.

Ken Evans, of Vancouver, representing public school teachers, is a sixth-grade teacher at Laurin Middle School in Vancouver.

Gary A. Livingston, of Spokane, representing school superintendents, is the superintendent of Spokane Public Schools.

Nancy Diaz-Miller, of Sammamish, representing public school principals, is the principal at McKnight Middle School in Renton.

Gary Kipp, of Longview, representing public school principals, is the principal at Mark Morris High School in Longview.

Elaine M. Aoki, of Seattle, representing private school principals, is the lower school director at The Bush School in Seattle.

Carol Coar, of Gig Harbor, representing education staff associates, is the school psychologist at Foss High School in Tacoma.

Karen L. Rademaker Simpson, of Spokane, representing education staff associates, is a speech and language pathologist for the Spokane School District.

Sheila L. Fox, of Bellingham, representing public higher education, is the associate dean of the college of education at Western Washington University.

Patricia A. Wasley, of Seattle, representing public higher education, is the incoming dean of the college of education at the University of Washington.

Dennis W. Sterner, of Spokane, representing private higher education, is the dean of the school of education at Whitworth College.

Martha Rice, of Yakima, representing parents, is a member of the Yakima School Board.

Emmitt Ray Jackson, of Richland, representing the general public, is president of Innovations, a human resource management company.

All terms expire May 31, 2004.

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