07/14/2026
"I didn't want to be at the back of the classroom. I wanted to be at the front."
For Erika Ruelas, becoming a teacher meant balancing school, work, motherhood, and financial hardship—all while pursuing her dream of serving students in her community.
Her story is one that too many aspiring educators share.
Through the LEADER Initiative, ESD 105 and partners across Central Washington are working together to identify and remove the barriers that keep talented multilingual, first-generation, and community-rooted educators from entering—and staying in—the profession.
When we make educator pathways more accessible and supportive, students benefit from teachers who reflect and understand their communities.
Read Erika's inspiring story and learn how partners are working toward lasting systems change: https://www.leaderwa.org/from-the-back-of-the-classroom-to-the-front/
“I loved what I did as a bilingual para educator,” says Erika Ruelas, a transitional kindergarten teacher in Central Washington. “I was already changing the lives of my students, but I didn’t want to be at the back of the classroom. I wanted to be at the front.”
