Tag Archives: Latino American Teachers

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

Mandy Perez named Kentucky’s 2023 Teacher of the Year

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Elementary teacher Mandy Perez of Marion, Kentucky, has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Kentucky Department of Education

I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional teacher who has earned recognition for her work in the classroom. Today I shine a spotlight on Mandy Perez, an elementary teacher from Kentucky. She has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Mandy, who is the first in her family to graduate from college, says she always dreamed of becoming a teacher. Her father, an immigrant from Panama, came to the United States at the age of 16. Her mother is a native of Crittenden County. Mandy earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Education and her Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Guidance and Counseling from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.

Once she earned her degree, Mandy inaugurated her career at Crittenden County Elementary School, where she taught third, fourth, and fifth graders. Currently, she teaches English Language Arts (ELA) to sixth graders at Crittenden County Middle School in Marion. Her career as an educator has spanned 18 years.

The honored teacher declares her priority as an educator is to foster a love for lifelong learning and to create enthusiasm for reading that expands beyond the classroom walls. “Educators and society owe it to our students to promote a love for reading,” declares Mandy. “Stories can be used as learning tools to teach the importance of understanding one’s culture, being kind, showing acceptance, exercising patience, working through differences, practicing the power of giving,” she continues. “There are so many lessons students can relate to and connect within a story. It’s these types of stories that teach them how to cope, deal with situations and understand who they are,” she concludes.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Mandy serves on the Coalition for Sustaining the Profession, the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, and on the Literacy Committee. In addition, she is the ELA content team leader, sixth grade team leader, and a mentor for new teachers.

To read more about Mandy Perez, click on the following link to the article published by the Kentucky State Department of Education.

Dr. Ernest Garcia: From CA barrio to classroom to school board

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Dr. Ernest Garcia: Classroom teacher, administrator, college professor, education frontrunner, veteran, and ardent supporter of the arts.  Photo Credit: San Bernardino Valley College

Many excellent teachers are fondly remembered for their significant contributions to their community. One of these was Dr. Ernest Garcia, a classroom teacher, administrator, college professor, educational frontrunner, veteran, and ardent supporter of the arts. During the course of a his lifetime, this remarkable man went from barrio to classroom to school board.

Ernest was the youngest of four children born to immigrants from Sinaloa, Mexico. During the 1930s, he was raised in a barrio in the San Bernardino County community of Colton. After his graduation from Colton High School, Ernest earned his Associate’s degree in Spanish from San Bernardino Valley College. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of California, Riverside, in 1955. He earned his Master’s degree in School Administration and Curriculum from the University of Redlands, and completed his PhD in Instructional Technology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1966.

During the Korean Conflict in the 1950s, Ernest joined the Air National Guard and served two years as a supply sergeant in Japan. When he returned, he married his long-time sweetheart Dorothy Morrison, whose he called “Dottie,” and the couple began their teaching careers together in the desert city of Barstow. Over the course of his lengthy career, Ernest also taught in Redlands and Rialto schools.

Once he earned his PhD, Ernest became a professor of education at the University of Redlands. The next year, he accepted a position at the Education Department at Cal State San Bernardino. While teaching there, he became a member of the Rialto Unified School Board, where he served from 1970-1979. During his tenure on the Board, he was instrumental in introducing programs for foreign language and gifted and talented education. “Still today,” says Syeda Jafri, Rialto Unified spokesperson, “his influence reaches far and wide in the Inland Empire.” In 1979, Ernest was named the Dean of the CSUSB School of Education. He retired in 1990.

In addition to his work in the field of education, Ernest was also a supporter of the arts. He performed with the Inland Master Chorale, the Canto Bello Chorale, and the University Symphonic Choir, and he acted in plays with the Rialto Community Players and University Theater. Also, he was a member of the Latino and San Bernardino Art Associations and his work appeared in their exhibitions. He served on the San Bernardino Symphony and National Orange Show boards. He was a curator of the National Orange Show Permanent Art Collection. In 2015, he established the Garcia Center for the Arts in San Bernardino, and served as its Executive Director until he retired from that position in 2020. The organization still provides a cultural center for the San Bernardino area.

Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion passed away on April 5, 2023. He was 93 years old. Before his passing, he was inducted into the San Bernardino Valley College Hall of Fame in 1977, and the Rialto School District named Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary School in his honor.

Former teacher and formidable labor leader Dolores Huerta

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Former elementary school teacher and formidable civil rights leader Dolores Huerta worked tirelessly to secure better working conditions for migrant farm workers in the 1960’s. Photo credit: Public Domain.

Like many people I have heard of formidable civil rights leader Dolores Huerta. She worked tirelessly to secure better working conditions for migrant farm workers in the 1960’s. But did you know she was also once a teacher?

Dolores was born in Dawson, New Mexico, on April 10, 1930. In fact, she just celebrated her 93rd birthday earlier this week. Raised in Stockton, California, Dolores graduated in 1955 with an AA and her teaching credentials from the College of the Pacific. After her college graduation, she accepted a teaching position in a rural Stockton elementary school. She had been teaching for only a short time when she realized she wanted to devote her vast energy to migrant farm workers and their families. “I couldn’t stand seeing farm worker children come to class hungry and in need of shoes,” she once explained. “I thought I could do more by organizing their parents than by trying to teach their hungry children.”

After just one year, Dolores resigned from her teaching position, determined to launch a campaign that would fight the numerous economic injustices faced by migrant agricultural workers. Joining forces with the legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez, the intrepid educator helped organize a large-scale strike against the commercial grape growers of the San Joaquin Valley, an effort which raised national awareness of the abysmal treatment of America’s agricultural workers. She also negotiated contracts which led to their improved working conditions. The rest, as they say, is history.

Although there are several fairly good juvenile biographies of this extraordinary woman, there is no definitive adult biography about her. The closest thing to it is A Dolores Huerta Reader edited by Mario T. Garcia. This book includes an informative biographical introduction by the editor, articles and book excerpts written about her, her own writings and transcripts of her speeches, and an interview with Mario Garcia. You can find A Dolores Huerta Reader on amazon. I have also included a chapter about this remarkable teacher in my second book, entitled Chalkboard Heroes.

AVID teacher Rosa Dockal mentors at-risk students

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Rosa Dockal, an AVID teacher in San Antonio, Texas, was just a child and couldn’t speak English when she came to this country as an immigrant. Now she teaches at-risk, first-generation students. Photo Credit: Open Sky Media Publications

I always enjoy sharing stories about inspirational educators from around the country. One of these is Rosa Dockal, a teacher from San Antonio, Texas. She was named one of her District’s Teachers of the Year in 2021.

Rosa currently teaches AVID courses at Travis Early College High School in the San Antonio Independent School District. Her career as an educator spans 25 years. The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program provides extra support for low-income, minority students. The curriculum involves instruction in note-taking and study skills, tutoring, and mentoring. Most of the students who graduate from the program have earned a high school diploma plus an Associate’s degree and up to 60 college credits from San Antonio College. 

Rosa’s family immigrated to San Antonio from Mexico when she was a pre-schooler. “When I came from Mexico, I didn’t know English, so I knew the struggle of learning a different language. It’s not easy,” Rosa declares. But by the time she was in the fifth grade, she was at the top of her class, and she was placed in a magnet program.

Even though she was the first in her family to graduate from high school, Rosa declared her intent to go to college to become a teacher. “I didn’t know what a FAFSA was,” she admits. “My parents didn’t speak the language, so I had to do it by myself—but I didn’t do it by myself, because I had so many teachers and counselors who helped me,” she says. “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know if I would have gone,” she confesses.

Rosa earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Texas, San Antonio. Once she landed her teaching position at Travis, she began to work with at-risk, first-generation students like herself. In addition to her AVID courses, she also teaches Spanish language classes.

For her exemplary work with young people, Rosa was named one of several teachers in her district as a Teacher of the Year in 2021.

NV teacher Rejily Soriano garners prestigious 2022-2023 Milken Educator Award

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Kindergarten teacher Rejily Soriano of West Wendover, Nevada, has garnered a prestigious 2022-2023 Milken Educator Award. Photo Credit: Elko Daily Free Press

There are many exceptional teachers working in our nation’s schools who are deserving of recognition. One of these is Rejily Soriano, an elementary school teacher from West Wendover, Nevada. She has garnered a prestigious 2022-2023 Milken Educator Award.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to a $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 3,000 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Rejily maintains high expectations for her kindergarten students. She is also careful to make strong connections with the children, supporting them as they In fact, most of her students are reading by the end of the year, and in May 2022, 89% reached grade level or above on standardized assessments in both math and English Language Arts.

In her classroom, Rejily puts emphasis on developing strong relationships with both students and their families. She communicates with parents often in both English and Spanish, maintaining open lines of communication about all aspects of students’ school experiences. She possesses an unwavering dedication to her job and her students as she works towards successful outcomes for every child in her class.

A teacher leader on her campus, Rejily is the school’s Leader in Me coordinator; she sits on the school improvement committee; and she designs professional development for her colleagues. In addition, she is the lead teacher for kindergarten, mentors new teachers, and is a leader for the school’s social-emotional learning efforts.

Rejily earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Western Governors University in 2017. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction there in 2020. She inaugurated her career in education in the Grow Your Own teacher recruitment program sponsored by Elko County School District. Through this teacher recruitment program, she worked with preschool students in the Head Start program before moving up to kindergarten.

To read more about Rejily Soriano, see this article about her published by the Elko Daily Free Press.