Jun. 7—WENATCHEE — According to a Wednesday announcement, the North Central Educational Service District has selected Kristy Bishop as the 2025 Regional Teacher of the Year and Maria Valle as the 2024 Regional Classified School Employee of the Year for the North Central Washington region.

Bishop is a mathematics and finance teacher at Moses Lake High School and Valle is the Family and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Quincy School District. According to the statement, both Bishop and Valle are now eligible for state honors through the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. State winners will be announced in September.

According to the announcement, Bishop is a lifelong resident of Moses Lake, and her classroom is a respectful, professional, and compassionate learning environment. The statement said her commitment to her students, coworkers, and community is exceptional. Bishop was nominated for the recognition by a colleague, who happens to be a past student. She was recognized for her kindness, patience and compassion towards students.

Whether it is challenging students mathematically, fostering personal connections, or encouraging students to be their best selves, the announcement said Bishop is driven by bringing authenticity into her classroom.

“Making [real-world] connections for students is not something that happens in a given lesson or activity,” Bishop explained. “It is a daily commitment to learning about and supporting my students as they work to accomplish their own goals.”

Bishop gives the students a significant amount of choice, which, according to the statement, she has found to be a powerful and authentic experience.

“Often what we teach is equally important as how we teach,” Bishop said. “Using different approaches in explaining and exploring content while emphasizing compassion, kindness and communications allows students to find value in and personalize their learning experiences.”

Valle started at QSD in 2011 and has previously served as a Migrant Student Advocate and Migrant Recruiter, the announcement said.

“I have dedicated my career to empowering parents to support their students in overcoming the challenges I once faced,” Valle said. “Every day I see the critical need for family engagement and I am passionate about supporting parents in becoming more involved in their children’s education because that engagement is key to student success.”

Valle was nominated by a colleague for her dedication and impact within the Quincy School District over the past several years, according to the statement.

A cornerstone of Valle’s work involves fostering relationships with families to integrate them into the Quincy School District community, the statement said. Through her role as the District’s Migrant Education Program Parent Advisory Committee Coordinator, Valle works alongside a group of parents and students to address the needs and successes of families in Quincy.

“Witnessing parents and students evolve into leaders has been profoundly rewarding, knowing that this journey prepares them for a brighter future,” Valle said. “I firmly believe that students gain immense knowledge and inspiration from observing their parents actively involved and aspiring to leadership roles themselves.”