She went to school every day to help her son. Now she’s an award-winning Puyallup teacher
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Angela Arteaga’s son came home from school crying.
That was over 10 years ago when he had started kindergarten in the Puyallup School District.
“He said: ‘Mommy, nadie entiende lo que yo hablo,’” Arteaga said.
Her son told her nobody understood what he was saying.
He didn’t want to return to school, Arteaga said, and that broke her heart. At the time she only spoke Spanish at home. Her son was comfortable speaking Spanish. He only knew a few words in English. She decided to go with her son to school every day after that, per his request.
“I put my daughter in a daycare just to be able to be at school for my son,” she said.
Arteaga spent most of her time volunteering at Sunrise Elementary and Ridgecrest Elementary when her kids studied there. She helped pick up trash during recess, wiped down desks and even became a crossing guard.
She started as an elementary teacher in 2022 at Puyallup Digital Learning, an online academy where she teaches kindergartners and first graders. The Puyallup School District recognized Arteaga as the elementary educator of the year during a school board meeting April 5.
Part of her nomination summary that a school district spokesperson read at the meeting said: “Her passion for teaching is evident in the way she cares for students’ academic growth and takes personal interest in them, supports both students and families in any way that she is able to in the classroom and outside of the classroom.”
Arteaga, 44, was born and raised in Popayán, Colombia. She and her husband moved to Utah in 2004. The couple and their two children have been living in Puyallup since 2011.
She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Pierce College in 2022. In Colombia, she studied telecommunications at a technical college. She has worked as a cashier and waitress, among other positions.
Arteaga said she didn’t plan to become a teacher. It just happened.
She said someone who used to work at the school district helped lead her to where she’s at now. Adrianna Julian used to be the director of Puyallup Digital Learning and the principal of Ridgecrest Elementary. Julian, 42, pushed Arteaga to pursue a college degree and to work for the Puyallup School District.
Julian said Arteaga has a “big heart” for children and families. When they worked together, they would host local roundtable events for Spanish-speaking families to help them navigate the school system.
She said she helps interpret, and she guides families to resources.
“For the roundtable events, I gathered Latino families from school. We had a presentation about ways to improve education in our homes, such as motivating parents to learn English, volunteering at school, getting more involved at school, and also encouraging them to ask for interpreters when they need,” she said.
John Aunspach, 56, is Arteaga’s husband. He said his wife always watches out for others. She always wants the best for those around her.
Julian said Arteaga’s students and their families “would follow her to the moon and back.”
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This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
