Malheur Education Service District

08/21/2026

https://www.malesd.org/HR/employment

08/20/2026

New Vale Math Teacher Finds Her Calling in the Classroom

VALE - Fani Lopez did not initially believe she wanted to be a teacher.
She pondered becoming a dentist.
“Eventually I grew out of that idea. Then I thought about becoming a civil engineer,” she said.
To test the engineering waters, she did a job shadow with a civil engineer.
“The job was boring. All paperwork. When I thought about what I wanted to do I knew people needed to be involved,” she said.
Then Lopez – who will teach math at Vale Middle School for the 2026-2027 school year – remembered her experience as a student in the Ontario School District.
“I had great math teachers growing up. I wanted to be one of the great math teachers I had,” she said.
Lopez, who taught math for 10 years for the Ontario School District, said she enjoys working with middle school students.
“They are bigger kids but sometimes act like little kids. It is fun to see them develop, grow, and mature,” she said.
Her job, she said, isn’t just about math.
“I teach but a lot of the time I am helping a kid grow up in life,” she said.
Lopez said teaching is never boring.
“Every year I learn something new,” she said.
While her teaching method is still vibrant, Lopez conceded much has changed since the first day she stepped into a classroom.
“I appreciate and value connections more now. I definitely invest more in that. I prioritize establishing relationships with students and parents. It takes proactive effort to connect to family and kids but it is always worth it,” she said.
Developing different methods to reach students is also crucial, she said.
“I teach with kids in mind. I try to figure out where they are at and adjust as necessary,” said Lopez.
An Ontario native, Lopez said it is important as a teacher to be able to “celebrate little and big wins in a kid’s life.”
“If they can look back and hear my name and not have a negative thought, then it is a win,” she said.
Lopez said she is grateful to work with students and parents and especially proud of the commitment of her fellow educators.
“Teaching is a really hard job. To have someone choose it over and over, year after year, those are dedicated people. There is better pay and benefits out there, yet these teachers show up and choose this,” she said.
She said her job is fulfilling.
“I get to meet super awesome people who choose to do this, and I get to know the kids at this very particular time in their lives,” she said.

08/19/2026

Tucker Turns Passion for Education Into Teaching Career

VALE - Sarah Tucker does not harbor any doubts about her teaching career.
In fact, she is eager to get started.
Tucker, who recently acquired her master’s degree in elementary education from Western Governors University, will teach sixth-grade English Language Arts at Vale Elementary School this academic year.
The position at the elementary school will mark Tucker’s first year as a teacher, though she worked as a tutor since 2015. Her new role will carry a heavy emphasis on teaching reading and writing, she said.
Tucker said she is ready for the new challenge.
“I’m excited. I have always loved teaching, especially reading. I want to make sure students find their love of reading,” said Tucker.
A Vale native, Tucker said she decided to teach full time based on her work as a tutor.
“I really enjoyed education as a tutor. So, one day my husband asked me, ‘why don’t you just do it full time?’ He kind of convinced me to go back to school and get my masters,” said Tucker.
Tucker said education is “one of the most important fields you can go into.”
“Children are our future. The kids coming into my classroom will be police officers, doctors and scientists. I think it is important to help them nurture what they want to do,” said Tucker.
Tucker said when she was a reading tutor, she was able to see first-hand how important education can be.
“There was a young lady I was tutoring. I had her for a whole school year. At the end of the year her mother sent me a nice email about how her daughter cried every time she had to read something but at the end of the year, she was reading for fun,” said Tucker.
Tucker said the crucial element to attracting students to reading is simple.
“You have to direct them to things they already enjoy. If a kid really likes sports, you have to find books that are about sports,” she said.
Tucker said she plans to find out what her students are interested in early in the school year.
“One of the biggest things for me is at the beginning of the year I do reading surveys to find out what topics they are interested in and what books they’ve read and like and what ones they don’t like,” said Tucker.
Tucker said there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching.
“You can get a group of kids all the same age, but they have such a variety of learning styles and knowledge. You have to figure out what works for each one,” she said.
Tucker, 32, said her teaching philosophy is also straightforward.
“You must meet students where they are. You have to individualize with everyone. Some kids learn well if you just give them an example and others need to break a problem down. You have to make sure no matter what you are doing it is accessible for every student,” said Tucker.
Tucker said she is pleased she will be working in her hometown.
“It is nice to work in a community where you all have the same goals, and you all want what is best for kids. These are my people,” she said.

08/19/2026

Come join our team!! https://www.malesd.org/HR/employment

Malheur ESD: Providing Exceptional service to the Students of Eastern Oregon

08/14/2026

Free Preschool Classes Available for Nyssa Families

NYSSA – If you are a parent searching for a preschool that offers a safe, nurturing environment then the Malheur Education Service District’s Pyramid Enhanced preschool classes may be the perfect fit.
Open class positions are still available for the 2026-2027 academic year located at the Nyssa School District office building at 804 Adrian Blvd.
The classes are free for any Nyssa resident with a preschool-aged child that is aged 3 on or before Sept. 1, said Stephanie Navarrete, Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Director for the Malheur ESD.
Classes run from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and are taught by licensed instructors. Breakfast, lunch and a snack are provided each day.
For more information email eokidsandcare.org

08/05/2026

Youth Team Helps Homeowners Prepare for Wildfire

HYLINE – By 1:30 in the afternoon recently it was already hot on top of the roof of the manufactured home but for Robert Esquivel, 18, and his three companions the heat was just part of the job.
The four recent high school graduates – supervised by Ontario High School Construction Instructor Bud Sebasto – are part of a unique program to help some local residents “harden” their homes inside wildfire susceptible areas.
The nine-week effort is spearheaded by the Malheur Education Service District’s Frontier STEM Hub and the Eastern Oregon CTE. Grant funds from the Eastern Oregon Workforce Board, the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Board and the Eastern Oregon Conservation Corp. fuel the program.
The work includes roof replacement and restoring home siding with fire-resistant materials along with installing ember-resistant vent screens and fuel removal.
Wednesday, July 15, the team led by Sebasto was working on replacing a roof at a home on Juniper Road north of Ontario. The team also cleared brush and vegetation – prime fuels for a wildfire – from the home.
Esquivel, 18, said the program is rewarding.
“I’m learning a lot of things and getting to know people,” he said.
Isaac Gonzalez, also 18, said Sebasto encouraged him to participate in the home hardening program.
“I wanted to learn. I get to work with people and see what I know and don’t know, and I like this outdoor stuff,” he said.
Sebasto said the home hardening program is a good introduction to the construction business.
“They’re getting a taste, a basic feel for everything,” he said.
Sebasto said his crew arrives at a work site at 7:30 a.m. and finishes the day at 5:30 p.m.
Nickie Shira, director of the Frontier STEM Hub, said the home on Juniper Road is exactly the type of dwelling the program targets.
“It is a great fit for home hardening,” said Shira.

Below: Mason Harris works north of Ontario as part of a program to protect local homes from wildfire. The work includes doing roof work to safeguard homes.

08/03/2026

New Malheur ESD STEM Facility Officially Opens
VALE – A crowd of around 30 people converged on the Malheur Education Service District’s new 3,000-square-foot Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) building for its official grand opening Monday.
The building – at 301 A Street - features conference room space, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) makerspace rooms and a therapy room for youth under 5.
Local residents and officials secured the opportunity to tour the new building and to take part in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new structure.
The building is named the “Redmond Innovation Center,” in honor of the current superintendent of the Malheur ESD, Mark Redmond.
The open house also included a dedication observance for student art that adorns the walls of the new building.
Planning for the $1.138 million dollar building began last year.

Below: Malheur ESD superintendent Mark Redmond, cuts the ribbon to signal the opening of the new 3,000-square-foot Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) building in Vale.

07/27/2026

Malheur ESD Schedules Grand Opening for New STEM Facility

VALE – The Malheur Education Service District will sponsor an open house Monday, Aug. 3 to officially dedicate a new, 3,000-square-foot Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) building at 301 A Street.
The open house is set to begin at 12:30 p.m. and run until 3 p.m. Scheduled events include a dedication observance for student art and a ribbon cutting ceremony in conjunction with Vale city officials. A tour of the new building and hands-on STEM activities are also planned.
The $1.138 million dollar building features conference room space, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) makerspace rooms and a therapy room for youth under 5. Officials began to plan the new building in the fall of 2024, said Mark Redmond, Malheur Education Service District superintendent.
“We are excited for the open house. It will give the community an opportunity to see the new conference room and the STEM lab. We’d really like to thank the organizations that helped contribute to this building. The City of Vale, the Eastern Oregon Border Board, the Ford Family Foundation, and the Roundhouse Foundation,” he said.
The public is invited to the event.

07/27/2026

In other news . . . In Other News . . . Malheur educators aim to expand Spanish-language childcare in Eastern Oregon . . . check out the story at:

A program to aid childcare entrepreneurs gains traction in a region with deep Latino roots.