Renton schools announce Outstanding Employees for 2026

Published 5:30 am Saturday, March 21, 2026

The Renton School Board has named the school district’s Outstanding Employees for 2026, presenting awards to winners in four categories with more than 80 nominees.

The categories are for “Outstanding Elementary Teacher,” “Outstanding Secondary Teacher,” “Outstanding Building Support Person” and “Outstanding District Support Person,” which the district says are awarded to “staff who demonstrate high levels of job performance, dedication and support for students, coworkers and community.”

“Outstanding Elementary Teacher” has been awarded to Nicole Brown of Sartori Elementary. A third-grade teacher, the school district describes Brown as someone who consistently goes above and beyond to support students and families.

“Nicole actively seeks opportunities to strengthen her practice by engaging in PLCs, instructional labs, and ongoing professional development, demonstrating a true commitment to continuous growth and excellence,” said the district. “She is respected among peers as a steady advocate for others: always listening thoughtfully, speaking up for the needs of her colleagues and students, and working tirelessly to ensure everyone feels supported and valued.”

“Outstanding Secondary Teacher” has been awarded to Physical Education teachers Teri Garrett of Lindbergh High School and Keith Eager of Renton High School.

“Teri consistently collaborates with colleagues on student needs, and volunteers to write grants to fund new games and sports. She created an adapted PE class to mix general education students with high-needs special-needs students to create an inclusive and educational environment. She has created new classes for students including walking class, yoga, outdoor education, swimming, life-guarding, dance and more,” said the district of Garrett.”

Eager has been working in the district for nearly 40 years. “Keith serves in many roles at school: Family And Community Engagement (FACE) Team, head girls track coach, supervises after-school weight room activities, serves on the school’s Safety Team, is a past Department Chair, past head wrestling coach and has also coached football and volleyball,” said the district. “He is in the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame for track and field. His commitment has championed several student athletes to stay in school and graduate and continue their education into college.”

Outstanding Building Support Person has been awarded to Nakeya Isabel of Nelsen Middle School and Kelly Jones of Hazen High School.

Isabel is a Restorative Justice Coordinator and Student Support who the district says go beyond her job duties to support students.

“She leads class meetings, runs restorative conversations, creates advisory content, designs tier one lessons used by school staff, and routinely steps up when there’s a task outside of her responsibilities,” said the district. “Nakeya is service oriented centering students in all her work including identifying students and staff to be celebrated and valued.”

Jones is Hazen’s assistant principal and the district says her impact is “immeasurable.”

“Never hesitant to do difficult work, Kelly took complete ownership of the school’s testing and assessments, which led to a much more knowledgeable staff, more engaged students, and a smoother and more successful season of test-taking for the entire school,” said the district.

“Outstanding District Support Person” has been awarded to Shyla Butler of Career & Technical Education Department. Butler is a Senior Budget Administrative Assistant and she “actively supports departments throughout the district by anticipating budget needs, providing clear guidance on allowable expenditures, and assisting staff in navigating myriad budget procedures.”

The district said, “Shyla consistently demonstrates outstanding job performance, active support, and dedication through exceptional attention to detail, proactive problem-solving, and a strong commitment to fiscal integrity and operational efficiency.”

To learn more about the district’s Outstanding Employees, visit rentonschools.us/our-district/school-board/school-board-outstanding-employee-awards.