Tag Archives: Latino American Teachers

Miami teacher Lizbet Martinez: She came to the US on a raft

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Florida music educator Lizbet Martinez fled the repressive Castro regime and came to the United States on a raft when she was just a child. Photo credit: The Buffalo News.

Many dedicated educators can share a personal history of overcoming great adversity. One is Lizbet Martinez, an elementary school teacher who, when she was just a child, fled the repressive Castro regime to come to the United States on a raft.

Lizbet was only 12 years old when she braved the dangers of the sea to immigrate to this country from her home island of Cuba on nothing more than a raft. She was one of more than 30,000 Cubans who made this treacherous journey during what is known as the “balsero crisis” of 1994. Lizbet and her family were plucked from the waters by the US Coast Guard on Aug. 21, 1994. At the time, the child was clutching a violin case, which the Americans discussed confiscating because they believed the case might contain a weapon. To prove them wrong, Lizbet opened the case, pulled out her violin, and began to play The Star Spangled Banner. Before the family fled the Castro regime in Cuba, she was studying violin at Alejandro Garcia Caturla Conservatory in Havana.  After their rescue, the Martinez family and other refugees spent five months at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base before being relocated to Miami.

When she grew up, Lizbet enrolled at Florida International University in Miami. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2003. Cuban-American singer Willy Chirino offered her with a $3,000 scholarship to help pay for her college expenses. At her college graduation, she was asked to performed the national anthem to open the commencement ceremonies. Later, Lizbet performed with music stars Gloria Estefan and Jon Secada. She also performed for President Bill Clinton and George H. Bush.

The aspiring teacher completed her student teaching assignment at Emerson Elementary School located in Westchester, Florida, and at Coral Reef High School in Miami. At the grade school, she taught basic music skills. At the high school, a magnet school for teenagers interested in music, she conducted the string orchestra.

Lizbet became a teacher at Emerson Elementary school. She also taught at M.A. Milam K-8 Center, where she was a music instructor until budget cuts cancelled the school;s music program. She then taught English.

To read more about this remarkable educator, see this story published by The Buffalo News.

New Mexico teacher Chris Sarmiento succumbs to Covid-19

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New Mexico teacher and coach Chris Sarmiento succumbed to Covid-19 on Feb. 19, 2021. He taught at Vista Middle School in Las Cruces. Chris was only 33 years old. Photo credit: KVIA-ABC7.

Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Chris Sarmiento, a teacher and coach from Las Cruces, New Mexico, succumbed to the disease on Feb. 19, 2021. He was only 33 years old.

Chris was born on July 17, 1987, in El Paso, Texas. As a young man, he graduated from Jefferson High School in his home town. He earned his Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from University of Texas, El Paso.

Chris taught social studies to sixth and seventh grades at Vista Middle School. The loss of this teacher and coach will be keenly felt among his students and colleagues, asserts school Principal Mike Brewer. “He was one of those teachers that, if you needed something done, he was one of the first ones that would step up,” Brewer recalls. “It’s going to be a big loss for the Vista family.”

Chris was well-known as more than a teacher and coach to his students. He was also a role model and substitute parent. “He wanted to be a father figure for those kids that didn’t have one,” said his widow, Mary Sarmiento. Mentoring young people was a tradition in his family, she explained. “The reason why he taught is because he followed in his grandfather’s footsteps,” she said. She noted that her husband’s grandfather, Tula Irraboli, was a passionate advocate for children. In El Paso, Irraboli worked to help at-risk youth find motivation to succeed in athletics.

In addition to his responsibilities in the classroom, Chris also coached the eighth grade football team. He continued his efforts to mentor his young athletes. “He wanted to tell them it was important to be a good athlete, but also a good student,” his wife said.

Prior to teaching in Las Cruces, Sarmiento taught at Anthony High School in Texas, his wife said. He also tutored at Bowie High School in El Paso and completed his student teaching at Brown Middle School.

To read more about Chris Sarmiento, see this obituary.

Florida science teacher Bertha Vazquez has won accolades

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Middle school science teacher Bertha Vazquez of Miami Dade Public Schools in Florida has won many accolades for her work in the classroom. (Photo credit: freeflo.org)

I always enjoy sharing stories about one of the many fine science educators in our country. One of these is Bertha Vazquez, an award-winning science teacher from Miami Dade County Public Schools in Florida. She has won many accolades for her work in the classroom.

Bertha teaches earth science, physical science, and life science at George Washington Carver Middle School in Miami Dade, Florida. Her career there has spanned 30 years. In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, she serves as the director of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science (TIES), a program connected with the Center for Inquiry and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.

Bertha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, suma cum laude, from the University of Miami in 1989. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Science Education from Florida International University in 1999. She was also named to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 1999.

For her work as an educator, Bertha has earned many accolades. In 2008, she was named the South Florida Regional Science and Engineering Fair Middle School Teacher of the Year. She garnered the Miami Dade Middle School Science Teacher of the Year Award in both 2008 and 1997, and in 1998 she was a finalist for Miami Dade Teacher of the Year. Bertha was also named a Premio Verde Escolar in 2012. She earned a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM grant in 2014, a Charles C. Bartlett Award for the National Environmental Education Foundation in 2009, and a Verizon Foundation Grant for Educators in 2011.

To learn more about Bertha’s work, see this link to the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science. You could also check out this link to the Center for Inquiry.

New Mexico teacher Sylvia Garcia succumbs to coronavirus

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With great sadness, we announce that New Mexico teacher Sylvia Garcia succumbed to coronavirus on Nov. 29, 2020. Photo credit: Las Cruces Sun News

With great sadness, we announce that the coronavirus has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Sylvia Garcia, a longtime teacher within New Mexico’s Las Cruces Public School District, passed away on November 29, 2020, after battling COVID-19. She was 60 years old.

Sylvia inaugurated her career in education in 1991. Most of her career was spent at schools where a large percentage of students were considered high risk. Over the three decades of her professional life, Sylvia taught at Sunrise Elementary, Hermosa Heights Elementary, and Valley View Elementary.  In 2019, she accepted a position at Lynn Community Middle School, where she taught math and reading intervention to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Sylvia served in several leadership positions within the teachers’ union NEA Las Cruces.

Sylvia’s colleagues remember that she worked diligently on behalf of her students. “She was a unique teacher whose reach went beyond the classroom. She invested in the lives of her students and her colleagues and she made students feel like they were her own family,” recalled Lynn Middle School Principal Brenda Ballard. “During our remote learning time, she would find ways to engage students in something personal.  She knew details about students few others did,” Ballard continued.

To read more about this wonderful educator, see this link to the Las Cruces Sun News.

Rene Plasencia: Educator and member of Florida House of Reps

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Former US Government teacher Rene Plasencia is currently serving in the Florida State House of Representatives.

Many fine educators have also carved out a successful career in politics. One of these is Rene Plasencia, a high school teacher who is currently serving as a representative in the Florida House of Representatives.

Rene was born on January 8, 1973, in Orlando Florida. His mother was Puerto Rican and his father was Cuban. As a youngster, Rene attended Dr. Phillips High School. After his high school graduation, he enrolled at the University of Central Florida on a rack and field scholarship. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1996.

Once he earned his degree, Rene accepted a position as a teacher at Colonial High School, where he taught US Government for 15 years.  “I taught in a diverse community filled with hard working families, many of them newly arrived to our Country,” recalls Rene. While teaching at Colonial, the dedicated educator also served as the coach for the track and cross country teams. In 2011 and 2012, his Boys Cross Country teams won back-to-back state championships. These were the first and only titles that the school has earned in any sport. For his work as a coach, Rene was named Florida’s 2011 Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Iin 2015, Rene was elected on the Republican ticket to the Florida House of Representatives, where he served the 49th District from 2014 to 2016. Once that term was completed, he was elected to represent Florida’s 50th District, a position he has held since 2016.

To learn more about Rene Plasencia, see the article about him by Ruth Guerra and published by the GOP.