On Sept. 28 during a ceremony in Olympia, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) awarded the 2025 State Teacher of the Year honor to Kim Broomer, a kindergarten teacher at Ruby Bridges Elementary.
Broomer has served as a kindergarten teacher for her entire 22-year career in education, teaching for the past four years at Ruby Bridges Elementary. Broomer was one of the foundational teachers in the opening of Ruby Bridges, which is a fully inclusive school and an inclusionary practices demonstration site.
"Kim Broomer represents the very best of Northshore School District," said Superintendent Michael Tolley. "Kim is unwavering in her commitment to inclusion and making sure that each and every student is supported, knows they belong, and thrives academically and socially. We are all very proud of Kim and her work on behalf of our students. Congratulations to Kim on her recognition and being named the 2025 Washington State Teacher of the Year.”
Ruby Bridges Principal Cathi Davis was in Olympia to celebrate the award with Broomer.
“It is rare to experience the kind of teaching that both inspires hope and feels like a bit of magic is in the air—this is what you get when you enter kindergarten with Kim Broomer,” said Davis.
"Kim’s commitment to creating spaces of belonging and connection while always magnifying the strengths of each student is remarkable," Davis said. "She is deeply committed to the Ruby Bridges Elementary vision of inclusive community for each student and serves as a leader in our local, state, and national engagement on inclusion. Kim is so deserving of this incredible award in recognition of her investment, her values, and her legacy of service to students and families."
Each day, Broomer makes an ongoing commitment to creating a supportive classroom environment where each and every student feels valued and respected. Broomer provides differentiated instruction to each student and maintains open lines of communication with parents and caregivers.
“Mrs. Broomer normalized differences and different modes of education and intentionally worked with each learner,” said Ana Maria, the parent of one of Broomer’s students. “In her classroom, all are loved. It is a microcosm of how the world should be.”
Prior to being named the state Teacher of the Year, Broomer was selected to represent not only the Northshore School District, but also all teachers in Puget Sound Educational Service District 121, which includes 35 school districts as well as tribal compact schools, and state-approved charter and private schools. Broomer will now compete for the National Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced in Spring 2025.