Local Author Releases Book

By Liv Stecker

  36 years of school administration all over the northwest adds up to a lot of learning. Cathie West began her career in education nearly 45 years ago as a preschool teacher, and quickly moved into a job as a principal, which set her on a professional path that she would continue for the rest of her working life. Moving around the northwest from Washington to Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and British Columbia, Cathie served as a principal in locales as varied as the orchard-rich Wenatchee Valley, and Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. 

  Receiving numerous awards for both her own leadership and the success of the schools where she worked, Cathie has earned her stripes as an effective force in education in the northwest. She began writing during her time as a principal – pieces for professional journals, magazines and local newspapers. She also edited material and proofread for other writers in her spare time. 

  Along the way, Cathie’s experience as a proofreader for academic writers became the impetus for writing a book. In September, The Educator’s Guide to Writing a Book: Practical Advice for Teachers and Leaders (Routledge, 2016) will be released. According to Cathie, educators that work “in the trenches” are effecting change. “They need to tell stories about their successes,” she says.  For many who have been trained to write in technical, academic terms, producing a book that captivates an audience can be daunting. “Everyone has fabulous ideas, that’s not the problem,” according to Cathie, “articulating them in a manner that grabs the reader” is the real challenge as she sees it. 

  This is Cathie’s fourth publication, her other works include The 6 Keys to Teacher Engagement: Unlocking the Doors to Top Teacher Performance (Routledge, 2013); Problem-Solving Tools and Tips for School Leaders (Routledge, 2011); and Leadership Teaming: The Superintendent-Principal Relationship (Corwin Press, 2009) which was co-authored with Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington. Her success in writing for her educational peers has led to this new volume, which includes usable tools such as a sample prospectus and checklists for the aspiring author. “My goal is to write something of value to other educators,” Cathie says, but this step-by-step instructional is applicable beyond the academic world to writers from all backgrounds. 

  Cathie and her husband moved to Colville after her retirement in 2013. They currently manage a small farm outside of town and the busy author laughs at the paradox of retirement. Finding time to produce material is a challenge for every writer, and since she has left behind her academic career that has not gotten any easier. She and her husband juggle a fully operational alfalfa farm and prolific garden, along with sheep and chickens, in addition to her literary undertakings.