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North Central Educational Service District announces regional Classified School Employee of the Year

North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) has announced Avid Castro as the recipient of the Classified School Employee of the Year award. Castro is a Paraeducator at Manson Elementary School.

School districts throughout the NCESD’s four-county service district were encouraged to nominate outstanding classified school employees for this distinguished award. A classified employee is defined as a person who is employed as a paraeducator and a person who does not hold a professional education certificate or is employed in a position that does not require such a certificate.

Castro was nominated by her supervisor, Keitlyn Watson, for her outstanding collaborative spirit and her ability to lead by example. Watson wrote: “She is a consummate professional, an inspiration to kids and adults, and has a passion for her work that is unmatched. She is willing to do whatever is best for kids and puts that at the forefront of her work. We are so lucky to have Avid at our school, serving our kids.”

Castro has been with the Manson School District for 17 years, 13 of which she’s served as a bilingual Paraeducator. She is currently working toward obtaining her AA degree in early Childhood Education.

“I believe that one of my most important duties in my building and district is supporting the English Language Learners (ELL) and newcomer students. Newcomers are students who have just arrived in this country, typically from Mexico. These students tend to make up most, if not all, of our ELL program. Students who fall in either one of these categories find themselves in a difficult time period of their lives. They have moved into a whole new world where the culture, language, and their surrounding are complete unknowns. I am fortunate to be one of the people who gets to work with this great group of students,” Castro explained.

Castro was selected by a committee as the 2018 recipient. She will represent the NCESD service district in the statewide selection process. Carolyn Griffin-Bugert, grants administrator for the Wenatchee School District, was named the 2017 NCESD Classified School Employee of the Year and went on to secure the top honor with Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).