As part of a revamped statewide program, ESD 105 has opened nominations for our first Regional Classified School Employee of the Year! Applications are due to ESD 105 no later than Friday, January 8, 2010. This new award is open to all school and district employees who are categorized as “classified” – which may include your school’s secretaries, paraprofessionals, cooks, bus drivers, custodians, and payroll officers. The winner of the ESD 105 regional award will serve as our area’s nominee for OSPI’s 2010 Washington Classified School Employee of the Year (which previously was...

Congratulations to Thomas Romero, director of the ESD 105 Migrant Education Regional Office, for being named the Outstanding GLAD Trainer of the Year! Romero's selection was announced during the 17th annual Project GLAD Trainer Conference held Sept. 25-26 in Costa Mesa, California. Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) is a professional development model for teachers of English language acquisition and literacy that promotes academic achievement and cross-cultural skills.  The program incorporates the use of high-level academic language and literacy, as well as strategies for promoting...

County organizations that are working together to create and sustain healthy, safe, and economically viable communities  celebrate the 20th anniversary of their statewide efforts during Community Mobilization Week, Oct. 11-17. The Board of Yakima County Commissioners and Governor Christine Gregoire have both signed proclamations honoring the positive impact Community Mobilization programs have had locally and throughout all of Washington’s counties during the past two decades. Community Mobilization programs exist throughout all of Washington’s counties to address the...

Educational Service District 105 has been awarded a three-year grant totaling $889,618 from the U.S. Department of Education that will boost arts education programs in the region’s schools.  The $889,618 Professional Development for Arts Educators (PDAE) grant will allow for continuation and expansion of visual and musical arts assistance to area schools provided under the ESD 105 ArtFusion program.  The new grant is a follow-up to the original $1.04 million PDAE grant that launched the ESD 105’s ArtFusion in 2005. The grant will be used to augment art education...

Longtime Toppenish School District educator Madeline Dunn has a new credit to her lengthy resume:  2009-2010 Educational Service District 105 Regional Teacher of the Year! Her selection was announced during a surprise presentation at the Toppenish School District's all-staff pre-service meeting on September 3. Dunn will serve as South Central Washington’s regional nominee for Washington State Teacher of the Year. She will be one of nine educators from throughout the state being interviewed by an OSPI selection committee on Sept. 25, with the statewide finalist to be announced...