Carlene Ogren named Regional Teacher of the Year

Published 1:30 am Friday, June 12, 2026

By BRIANA LINDQUIST

Northwest Educational Service District 189

A Broad View Elementary teacher in Oak Harbor has been named regional Teacher of the Year by the Northwest Educational Service District 189.

Carlene Ogren, an Elementary Learning Assistance Program teacher with Oak Harbor Public Schools, provides Tier 2 interventions in reading and math.

“Carlene Ogren exemplifies the very best of what it means to be an educator in Washington State,” Broad View Elementary Principal Jenny Hunt wrote in a letter of support. “Her expertise, heart, and tireless commitment to students, colleagues and families make her an exceptionally deserving candidate for this honor. I give her my strongest and most wholehearted recommendation.”

Ogren said building relationships with families is central to her work.

“Creating meaningful connections between students’ educational experiences and their broader world begins with authentic teacher-student relationships,” she wrote. “Once trust is built, students engage more with their school community, sharing their family and cultural backgrounds and participating in local initiatives.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ogren focused on meeting students’ basic needs so they could better engage in learning. She delivered food to families, made home visits to help them access remote learning tools and conducted wellness checks to address attendance challenges.

She also helps coordinate clothing, backpacks and other essentials for students in need and works with partner organizations to support homeless students.

As a Navy spouse, Ogren said she brings firsthand understanding of the challenges military families face — a common reality in Oak Harbor.

“That perspective shapes my communication with military families,” she said. “I offer flexible meeting times, understanding around absences and transitions, and practical support during deployments. I ensure my availability to discuss school-related concerns, help translate school expectations across moves, and connect families to base and community resources so students remain supported academically and emotionally.”

In a letter of support, parent Keri Totten wrote that both of her sons had Ogren as a teacher and described her as deeply committed beyond the classroom.

“She is an exceptional educator, a tireless advocate and a true champion for her students,” Totten wrote. “Any child fortunate enough to be in her classroom benefits from her unwavering commitment and care.”

As part of her application, Ogren described a hands-on science lesson on forces and motion, in which students tested how toy cars moved across carpet, tile and sandpaper.

“Hands-on investigation was intentional: it levels the playing field,” she wrote. “Emerging readers and multilingual learners were not sidelined by dense text; minimal reading meant the cognitive load of language was reduced, and observations, measurements and explanations became the focus.”

Ogren said she prioritizes access and dignity in instruction.

“I structured tasks so every student could contribute,” she wrote. “We used visuals and physical models alongside concise vocabulary anchors, and led discussion-rich debriefs where students described observations, hypothesized causes and justified conclusions.”

She also pointed to national reading data showing persistent achievement gaps.

“We know that behind those statistics are real children in our classrooms who struggle daily,” she wrote. “From kindergarten through 12th grade, this challenge affects every subject area, every tier of instruction, every moment of learning.”

Ogren said relationships are essential to learning.

“Before we can teach a child, they must trust us. Before they will believe in themselves, we must believe in them,” she said. “Relationships are not just nice-to-haves — they are necessities for success.”

The Regional Teacher of the Year program honors educators who demonstrate exemplary teaching and provides them a platform to highlight education issues.

Ogren will now compete against eight other regional finalists from across Washington state for the 2027 Washington State Teacher of the Year title.

The Northwest ESD 189, based in Anacortes, serves districts, tribal compact schools, charter schools, private schools and early learning partners across Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties.