WILLOWCREEK – An English teacher at Willowcreek Elementary School was named Malheur Regional Teacher of the Year and is now in the running for the state’s Teacher of the Year.
Kim Worley walked into a surprise announcement ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 19, at Willowcreek Elementary School and was applauded by students, staff and friends.
She is one of 18 educators across Oregon picked for the regional teacher honor, according to a Thursday, Sept. 19 press release from the Vale School District.
Worley teaches seventh and eighth-grade English at Willowcreek, part of the Vale School District, and is in her 24th year as an educator.
“It does not get any better than getting ‘Teacher of the Year,’” she said.
As the regional honoree, Worley was awarded $1,000 by the Oregon Lottery. The winner of the statewide Teacher of the Year for 2024-25 will be announced in October.
Regional teachers are nominated by staff, students, other teachers, friends and family members. Once nominated, the teachers submit essays and letters of support from their district.
Worley said the letters of recommendation were the most rewarding part of the process.
“You read those letters and you find out what you really mean to your community and to the people that you serve,” she said.
Among those who supported the nomination was Alisha McBride, Vale School District superintendent, who wrote in a letter that Worley is a “teacher leader” in the district, hosting training sessions for other teachers and sharing resources with her colleagues to help them improve their lessons.
McBride wrote that while she was familiar with Worley’s impact as a teacher, it wasn’t until Worley taught McBride’s own children that she saw the dedication behind her work.
“The reading and writing growth I have witnessed in my own children as a result of Mrs. Worley’s guidance is incredible,” she said.
McBride commended the “positive connections” Worley makes with students and her ability to “proactively” communicate with families.
“I have had the opportunity to observe hundreds of educators, and few are as impactful as Mrs. Worley,” she said.
Amanda Saunders, a parent who wrote a letter of support, noted that Worley pushes her students “to expand and think broader than they currently do.”
“She is remarkable in the crowd of educators in our state, and she is a unique lady sharing her love of life and learning,” Saunders wrote.
Worley started her teaching career in Spokane, Washington, after earning a degree in English and a master’s in math from the University of Washington.
She said the community in Vale is like no other that she’s worked in.
In Vale, she said, parents and educators work together, benefiting the students in the long run. She noted it’s a community where she can message a student’s parent to let them know about a missed assignment or if grades start slipping.
That relationship between teachers and parents is a “testament” to why her students do so well, she said.
“I love my job and am proud of what I do,” she said. “I know I do it well. When you get those accolades from teachers and community members, it’s just very affirming that I was put in the right spot.”
News tip? Send your information to Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE – The Malheur Enterprise delivers quality local journalism – fair and accurate. You can read it any hour, any day with a digital subscription. Read it on your phone, your Tablet, your home computer. Click subscribe – $7.50 a month.
