Wildomar Elementary Teacher Named Educator of the Year

Wildomar Elementary School teacher Tim Bedley was among nine educators who were honored Tuesday at the annual Celebrating Educators Luncheon in Palm Springs.

Bedley, who teaches fourth and fifth grade GATE education, has been a teacher for 24 years. He began teaching in 1988 at R.H. Dana Elementary School and has taught at Menifee Valley Middle School and Pauba Valley Elementary School and Withrow Elementary School.

He is also the founder of Mr. Tim's Lounge, an internet based professional learning community, the Christian Educators Association, and the Center for Learner Centered Education.

Colleagues described Bedley was a "remarkable man and an outstanding innovative educator."

Other honorees who were named the 2013 Riverside County Educators of the Year:

• Timothy Ritter, superintendent at Temecula Valley Unified School District
• Michael Fine, deputy superintendent of business and governmental relations at Riverside Unified School Distict
• Mary Walters, principal at Murrieta Mesa High School
• Neician (Nikki) Thaxton, administrative assistant at San Jacinto Unified School District
• Julie Roe Smith, instructional assistant at Orange Grove High School
• Donnette Tanner Wheat, speech and language pathologist at McKinley Elementary School
• Tommy Stokes, a ninth and 12th grade AVID teacher at Moreno Valley High School
• Amyleen Tuiza, special education teacher at Riverside County Office of Education