05/20/2026
As all good things do, this school year has come to an end. I would be lying if I said that this was an easy year. From the renewal process not going the way we had planned, to working with Vemilion to get our schools to merge, this year tested all of us, and yet somehow we made it.
I want to personally thank all the parents and students that I have had the pleasure to meet over the course of my 3 years at ERATS, and extend the sincerest gratitude to all of you who were patient with all the unknowns of this year. I don't know where I would be without you all.
That being said, this is the time where I announce that I am leaving after the close of the year. While ERATS has been my home the last 3 years, and I have loved these students as if they were my own children, there comes a time where we all have to make a decision to continue in the same spaces or grow as indivuals in new ones. Many of the students already know I won't be returning with the merge, as I have accepted a position teaching in Ely.
But this doesn't mean goodbye forever, just for now. I do plan on visiting throughout the year as I hand off my kiddos to a new director and a new school. I will miss the legacy that ERATS created, and that I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of, but I am excited for the future and being a part of keeping a space for kids who need it on the Iron Range.
I have always held a huge vision in changing education for the better, and my time with ERATS has only deepened that passion, and I intend to continue doing so wherever the future leads me.
I hope to see all of my students cross the stage at graduations in all the years to come. I can't wait to see all the successes they find in life, and see the wonderful people they become. These kiddos hold a special place in my heart, and I love them all deeply.
May you always find the brightness in those darkest days, and remember I am just a phone call/message away.
With all the love and gratitude,
Ms. Cordero
