Washington Street Elementary 1st grade teacher, Val Sabatke, has been named the 2022-23 Educator of the Year for Otsego Public Schools! She was honored Thursday, November 3rd at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Night of Recognition. "It is truly an honor to represent my amazing colleagues at Otsego to accept this award. I work alongside fantastic educators to continuously put relationships with students in the forefront, and work as a team to meet the needs of all learners," Sabatke says.

Val has been teaching for 15 years; this is her 6th year at OPS. "I love teaching in Otsego because of the strong sense of community and the team effort to do what's best for students," she adds.

"Val continues to go above and beyond in all capacities. She is a firm believer of Capturing Kids' Hearts (CKH), always willing to learn the latest intervention to meet the needs of all learners in her classroom, and has phenomenal classroom management. She's fun, engaging, and loves her students," says Jen Knight, WSE Principal.

Congratulations, Val!