Tag Archives: Latino American Teachers

Teachers who were Latino Americans, or who worked with Latino American student populations.

Florida teacher Jenny Torres Sanchez writes award-winning Young Adult novels

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Former Florida English teacher Jenny Torres Sanchez now writes award-winning Young Adult novels. Photo Credit; Jenny Torres Sanchez

Many excellent classroom teachers have earned fame as talented authors. One of these is Jenny Torres Sanchez. She is the author of young adult novels, several of which have won coveted awards.

Jenny was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother immigrated to the United States from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, and her father immigrated from El Salvador. When she was ten years old, her family moved to Orlando, Florida. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Central Florida.

Once she earned her degree, Jenny taught English Language Arts at the high school level. Later she left the classroom to care for her son, who was diagnosed with developmental delays. During this time, she began to write her first novel, The Downside of Being Charlie, The book was published in 2012. She followed this with Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia in 2013; Because of the Sun in 2017; The Fall of Innocence in 2018, and With Lots of Love in 2022.

In her novels, Jenny often writes about challenging topics. She does this, she says, in the hopes that her books will help who young people who are facing challenging situations to “help them know that the human condition is one made up of so many things: love, pain, elation, tragedy. And no matter what your situation, there are others out there who probably understand, or empathize, with what someone is going through.”

Jenny’s work has earned a number of prestigious awards. In 2017, she earned a Florida Book Award for Young Adult Literature. In 2021, she garnered the Best Fiction for Young Adults award from the American Library Association and she was also named a finalist for the Pura Belpre Award. In 2024, she captured Michael L. Printz Award.

To learn more about Jenny Torres Sanchez, click on this link to her website.

 

New Mexico’s Gerard Pineda is a successful Head Baseball Coach

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La Cueva High School Head Baseball Coach Gerard Pineda (center) with student (right) has led his athletes to no less than seven New Mexico state championships since 2010. Photo Credit: New Mexico Activities Association

There are many outstanding athletic coaches who work with America’s young people, and they are chalking up wonderful achievements! One of these is Gerard Pinedo, a successful baseball coach at La Cueva High School located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Gerard took over as Head Coach at La Cueva during the 2009-2010 season. Since then, he has led his teams to no less than win seven state championships. Gerard’s teams have won 17 games or more in all 13 seasons since Gerard took over. In fact, La Cueva High is ranked among the nation’s top 50 teams by Baseball America, which evaluates teams based on performance, strength of schedule, and player talent. To learn more about the rankings, click on this link to Southern Pigskin.

For his outstanding coaching abilities Gerard was honored by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association on July 25, 2024. The humble coach credits his students for his successes, though. “We’re fortunate to have talented kids,” declares Gerard. “We tried to make sure that they knew how talented they were, and what they were capable of,” he continued. “They’ve been a joy to coach,” he concluded.

Efrain Casillas named Arizona’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Arizona music educator Efrain Casillas has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Chicanos Por La Causa

I am always pleased to share the story of an exceptional educator who has been recognized for their work with young people. One of these is Efrain Casillas, a music educator from Arizona. He has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Efrain serves as the Co-ordinator of Music Programs for the Tolleson Elementary School District (TESD) in Phoenix. There he created the district’s first mariachi, jazz, marching, concert, and Latin jazz bands. Under his expert direction, the Tolleson Elementary School Mariachi Band competed at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, where they won first and second place in the Choice Awards—three years in a row! The band has also performed at Disneyland in the Disneyland Parade. Efrain’s Latin jazz band has participated in the Fiesta Bowl Parade for three consecutive years. Currently, Efrain teaches both general and instrumental music at two schools in the district.

For his work in the classroom, Efrain was a featured guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2020. He garnered an Esperanza Latino Teacher Award from Chicanos Por La Causa in 2018 and a Music Teachers of Excellence from the Country Music Association Foundation the same year. Furthermore, he was nominated for the Life Changer Award in 2017, and in 2015 he was selected TESD’s Teacher of the Year. He has also served as a presenter for the National Symposium on Multicultural Music at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 2004. He is an active member of the Arizona Music Education Association.

As Arizona’s Teacher of the Year, Efrain will receive $15,000 from the Arizona Educational Foundation. He will travel to National Teacher of the Year events, meet the President at the White House, and attend the International Space Camp in Alabama. The Arizona Educational Foundation says the honored educator will also be considered for an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University.

Efrain earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance and his teaching certificate in education, both from Western Connecticut State University. His career as a public-school music teacher spans 24 years.

 

IL educator Olga Nunez Johnson receives 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching

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Olga Nunez Johnson, a first grade teacher in Chicago, Illinois, has been named a recipient of the 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Photo Credit: Block Club Chicago

I always enjoy sharing stories of outstanding educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Olga Nunez Johnson of Chicago, Illinois. She has been named a recipient of the 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Olga teaches first grade at Thomas J. Waters School in Chicago, where she has taught for 12 years. As a whole, her career as an educator spans 29 years.

In her classroom, Olga prioritizes her students’ needs, fostering a supportive and purposeful student-centered environment. According to her co-workers, her personality and commitment to creating a respectful, challenging, and inclusive classroom environment make her an outstanding educator.

Olga was born into a family of immigrants from Cuba. She was born in Spain before coming to the United States when she was just a toddler. Her mother, also named Olga, was a stay-at-home mom and her father, Luis, worked as a machinist in a factory.

The Golden Apple Awards honor outstanding teachers for leaving a lasting, positive effect on the lives of their students and in their school communities. Olga is one of ten educators in her state who were selected from over 600 candidates teaching at the Pre-K to third grade level.

“These exceptional educators have demonstrated an unwavering commitment, innovative spirit, and transformative influence on their students and school communities,” asserts Alan Mather, President of The Golden Apple Foundation. “They are not merely outstanding instructors, but impactful leaders as well,” he continues. “The 2024 award recipients will help shape the future of teaching, empowering the next generation of talented educators to make a profound difference in even more young lives,” Mather concludes.

Learn more about Olga Nunez Johnson by clicking on this link to Block Club Chicago.

IL teacher Sam Figueroa named the 2024 Far North Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year

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Spanish teacher Sam Figueroa has been named the 2024 Far North Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Illinois State Board of Education

There are many outstanding teachers working with our young people in our nation’s public schools. Some of these are singled out for special recognition. One is Sam Figueroa, a high school World Languages teacher from the state of Illinois. He has been named the 2024 Far North Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Sam is a Spanish teacher at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He has taught there for 12 years. In addition to his foreign language courses, he coaches soccer, leads curricular teams, and serves as a club sponsor.

Originally, Sam pursued a career in finance. But while teaching English in Italy, he recognized his passion for working with young people. When he returned to the United States, he worked for two years as a substitute, and another two years as an aide in a therapeutic day school. All the while, he was taking night courses at North Eastern Illinois University in Chicago until he earned his degree.

Since he has been working as a professional educator, Sam has led a shift towards the practice of standards-based grading, he has developed articulation with district middle schools, he has facilitated the incorporation of social-emotional learning and culturally relevant practices in the classroom, and he has created a curriculum called Diversity Friday to highlight under-represented groups within Spanish-speaking countries.

Sam says much of his success with his students is due to the fact that he is open-minded, forgiving, accommodating, and genuinely interested in others. He declares these qualities are integral to his goal of helping others become better, because if students know they are valued, then they will reach their full potential.​