‘Lasting impact’ Tri-City educator is Washington’s 2026 Teacher of the Year
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gabriela Whitemarsh named Washington’s 2026 Teacher of the Year for student advocacy.
- The Pasco High School teacher expanded college-level math access for English-learning students.
- Whitemarsh to be considered for 2026 National Teacher of the Year title.
A trailblazing Tri-Cities teacher who has advocated relentlessly to expand mathematics opportunities for English-learning students is Washington’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.
Gabriela Whitemarsh is a bilingual mathematics teacher at Pasco High School. She’s the second-ever Tri-Cities educator to earn the distinction, and the first since 2018 from Eastern Washington.
The Pasco teacher was surprised with the honor at Saturday’s Educator Awards Ceremony in Olympia, hosted by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. This puts her in automatic consideration for 2026 National Teacher of the Year, the winner of which will be named in the spring.
“Gabriela embodies the very best of Pasco School District,” said Superintendent Michelle Whitney in a statement.
“Her commitment and relentless belief in her students’ potential have not only changed individual lives but has reshaped how we think about access and opportunity across our system. We are honored to celebrate her as Washington’s Teacher of the Year,” Whitney continued.
The title comes with additional professional development opportunities, attendance at leadership retreats, speaking engagements, space to advocate for educational issues, and other benefits. From January to June, Whitemarsh will serve a residency for the Teacher of the Year program, and will join a distinguished cohort of honorees recognized as leaders in the teaching profession.
Whitemarsh was recognized as Southeast Washington ESD 123’s Teacher of the Year in June, which put her in the running for the state prize. She bested eight other finalists from Educational Service Districts around the state.
Before that, she’d been recognized as a 2025 Tri-City Crystal Apple winner, the biggest accolade in education in the Kennewick-Richland-Pasco area. She is starting her tenth year teaching, and has spent the last eight at Pasco School District.
Whitemarsh is known for her groundbreaking work in expanding access to advanced mathematics for multi-lingual learners.
She founded the Highly Capable Advanced Multilingual Mathematics Program at Pasco High in 2018, which opened the door for more students to take college-level math classes.
Since the program took off in 2018, about 92 students have completed advanced math courses, and 41 have earned between 5 and 20 college math credits — all while they continued to build a foundation in the English language arts.
Whitemarsh earlier this year told the Tri-City Herald that it was her students and the stories of their families who drive her to continue teaching. They come from varied backgrounds, education levels and at different ages — but each strives to learn and help one another.
“Education is at the heart of what we do. It opens doors and opportunities — and there’s a ripple effect,” she previously told the Herald.
Her colleagues in education say her innovative approach to teaching has transformed learning opportunities and inspired them to adopt similar inclusive, equity-driven practices. She also committed countless hours toward tutoring students during the COVID pandemic, as well as being a mentor to her colleagues.
Pasco High School Principal Veronica Machado said Whitemarsh is a “remarkable educator who transforms the lives of her students through innovation, compassion and dedication.”
“She has opened doors for students who never thought college-level math was within reach. We are so proud of the lasting impact she has made on our students and our school community,” Machado said in a statement.
Southeast Washington has a storied history of nominating OSPI Teachers of the Year, from Walla Walla to Othello. But Whitemarsh is just the second-ever from the Tri-Cities area to take home the award.
The first was Laura Jones, a marketing and DECA teacher also from Pasco High School, who earned the accolade back in 2008.
A Tri-Cities educator has never won the national title, but more than a half-dozen other Washington teachers have going back to 1963.
