PORT ANGELES — After graduating from The Evergreen State College in 1986, Jamie Valadez tried to land a full-time teaching job with the Port Angeles School District.

But the district wouldn’t take her.

“For three years, I tried to get my foot in the door,” said Valadez, Port Angeles High School Klallam language instructor who last week was named Teacher of the Year by the Washington State Indian Education Association.

“But I couldn’t. Maybe I was still pretty young and immature.”

It turns out that not getting a full-time teaching job with the district started Valadez on a road that would lead her to become one of the pioneer Native American teachers not only for the Port Angeles School District, but beyond.

In 1998, Valadez — a member of Lower Elwha Klallam tribe — was instrumental in the formation of a breakthrough agreement between the tribe and Port Angeles School District.

First tribe-district pact

It was the first known agreement between a tribe and public school agency in the state.

It set out goals to include Native American curriculum in Port Angeles schools and set the stage for the creation of a Lower Elwha language course at Port Angeles High School in 1999, which Valadez still teaches.

Today, Valadez is also in the process of developing a pilot curriculum for eighth-grade students that combines the history, culture and language of the Lower Elwha.