2020 Teacher of the Year is named

2020 Teacher of the Year is named
Posted on 07/03/2019
Her passion for the classroom comes naturally.

Growing up in Tumwater, Analisa McCann accompanied her mother to school every Sunday. Yes, Sunday.

Her mother, Kathy McCann, still a teacher in the Tumwater School District, visited her classroom every Sunday to prepare for the coming week. Her example left an indelible mark on her daughter, who now leads her own classroom at Broadway Elementary in the Central Valley School District.

Now, a couple of decades later, Analisa is a first-grade teacher earning her own rave reviews. “Analisa has been an active member of our school leadership team and a driving force to spearhead the Readiness to Learn initiative in our School Improvement Plan,” says Principal Lori Johnson. “She has led book studies to support trauma-informed practices and she created a welcome day for new teachers.”

So, what do you call a teacher who exudes energy, inspires colleagues and promotes rigor in the classroom?

You call her the Teacher of the Year.

Earlier this summer, McCann was named the region’s distinguished educator in the seven-county region served by NEWESD 101. With that award, the two-time Whitworth University graduate (BA, 2010; MIT, 2011) now contends for state Teacher of the Year honors, to be announced in September.

With her first-grade teaching colleagues Amy Norton and Emily Didier, McCann have led a schoolwide initiative to support student growth and achievement, especially in reading.

They have developed a model of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, an initiative assisting teachers at all grade levels in becoming more focused and intentional in their sharing of ideas and best practices.

But, don’t think for a minute that she’s just about organization, systems and planning. In fact, colleagues say the foundation of her success is built on relationships. “Kids need to feel safe, comfortable and loved,” she says. “They need healthy bonds with adults they consider trustworthy and influential.” For many, that person is a teacher.

Interviewed for this story only days after school adjourned in June, McCann was already counting the days to the start of the new school year, September 4.

Her enthusiasm speaks for itself. That is the spirit and attitude that defines an influential person the NEWESD 101 region is proud to call its 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Story posted: July 3, 2019
For more information:
Steve Witter
(509) 789-3540
[email protected]



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