Tag Archives: Latino American Teachers

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

NC teacher Raquel Aguilar honored by WAVY-TV 10

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Elementary school teacher Raquel Aguilar of North Carolina has been honored was an Excellent Educator by Dare County Schools and WAVY-TV 10. Photo credit: Wavy TV 10

Our nation’s bilingual students are fortunate to have many talented bilingual educators devoted to their educational success. One of them is Raquel Aguilar, an elementary school teacher in North Carolina. In May, 2022, she was selected as an Excellent Educator by Dare County Schools and WAVY-TV 10.

Raquel teaches third grade at Kitty Hawk Elementary School in the Dare County School District located in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She teaches in the Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program. In addition to English and Spanish, she is also proficient in French.

Through her work, Raquel is not just teaching her students another language, she’s also making sure that they understand why being bilingual is so important. “Being bilingual has opened so many doors for me and that’s what I hope for my kids too,” she says. But the honored educator says the bilingual program is much more than just teaching students another language. “It’s about recognizing differences and that differences are okay. It doesn’t matter what language you speak. It doesn’t matter how you look,” she asserts.

In addition to her work with her third graders, Raquel leads a curriculum initiative in her District, working with fellow teachers to develop resources for the Spanish Immersion Program. She also mentors beginning teachers.

Raquel is a native of Costa Rica. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Universidad de Costa Rica in 2014. She earned her Master’s degree in Primary Education from the Universidad Methodist de Costa Rica in 2017.

The Excellent Educators program is a WAVY-TV 10 initiative to celebrate local teachers who have gone above and beyond for their students and communities during the last academic year. These Excellent Educators were nominated by their school divisions.

To learn more about Raquel Aguilar, click on this link to an article about her published on WAVY.com.

Teacher Anthony Gonzales garners 2022 Humanities Texas Award

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History teacher Anthony Gonzales from San Antonio, Texas, has garnered a 2022 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award. Photo Credit:

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work with young people. One of these is Anthony Gonzales, a history teacher from San Antonio, Texas. He has garnered a 2022 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award from Humanities Texas.

Anthony has been teaching history John Marshall High School in the Northside Independent School District for the past nine years. During these years, he created and inaugurated the Mexican American Studies (MAS) course, which offers the students the opportunity to study their own experiences and discuss topics they feel may be overlooked in a traditional history class, explains Anthony. “MAS students improve their critical thinking, analytical, and leadership skills because the course provides the opportunity to explore ideas relatable to those students,” he continues. The course is so popular that it has been expanded to other high schools throughout the state.

In addition to the MAS course, Anthony also runs a popular after-school program, the Mexican American Studies Student Association (MASSA), an enrichment program which explores the literature, art, music, current events, and cultural events of the Mexican American community. The participants even participate in community service projects.

And as if all this were not enough, Anthony serves his school as the faculty advisor for the Academic Decathlon team. Under his expert leadership, Marshall High has garnered five regional championships and placed in the top three in state-level competition twice.

The Humanities Award includes $5,000 for the honoree and an additional $1,000 for his school to purchase instructional materials.

Puerto Rico STEM teacher Janine Hidalgo garners coveted PAEMST

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Elementary STEM teacher Janine Hidalgo of San Juan, Puerto Rico, garnered a coveted PAEMST in 2020. Photo credit: University of Puerto Rico

There are many talented educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Janine Hidalgo, an elementary school teacher from Puerto Rico. She garnered a coveted PAEMST in 2020.

The PAEMST, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, recognize the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Janine teaches at Academia San Ignacio de Loyola in San Juan. In a career that has spanned over 20 years, she has spent the last six of them teaching fifth and sixth grade science. She has a reputation for being a compassionate and responsive teacher with excellent skills in classroom management, behavior modification, and individualized support. In her classroom, she works with students at all skill levels to promote learning and boost educational success.

The honored educator encourages her students to develop student-led and community-based projects. And these projects have been quite successful.  In 2013, Janine founded her school’s first Robotics Team. Under her leadership, the team won the First Lego League (FLL) first place prize in both the 2013-2014 and in 2015-2016 competitions. In the Puerto Rico Championships in 2014-2015, her team captured the Programming Award. And then her school’s  team became Puerto Rico’s delegation at the FLL North American Open Champion at Legoland, CA. In 2017-2020, Janine incorporated expanded learning opportunities for her students when she integrated the VEX IQ Robotics platform. In 2019, Janine coordinated the school’s first trip to Space Camp in Alabama. During the trip, her students won the Right Stuff Award and obtained one for the highest average scores on missions and engineering challenges.

Through all of these experiences, Janine’s students have developed a well-rounded scientific mind and see the value of teamwork. To recognize her expert leadership and her dedication, Janine was recognized as a distinguished Robotics Coach by FLL of Puerto Rico in 2020.

Janine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Puerto Rico. She is a certified elementary and STEM school teacher.

CA educator and highly-decorated veteran Ernest Robles

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California educator Ernest Robles also served as a highly-decorated veteran in the Korean War. Photo Credit: Legacy.com

Many excellent classroom teachers have also served their country as military veterans. One of these was Ernest Robles, a California educator who was also a highly-decorated Marine in the Korean War.

Ernest was born on Feb. 16, 1931, in Pirtleville, Arizona. As a young man, he lettered in football. After high school, Ernest served his country in the US Marines, where he saw combat in the Korean War. While there, he earned a Bronze Star, a Navy Commendation Medal of Valor, and a Purple Heart.

Once he was discharged from the military, Ernest earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from University of California, Los Angeles. He earned his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Redlands in Redlands, California. After completing his education, Ernest spent many years teaching school, working as a school counselor, and serving as a principal and administrator in the Riverside School District in Riverside. Later, he moved to San Francisco where he accepted a position as an Assistant Regional Administrator for Equal Educational Opportunities in the US Office of Education.

Ernest also supported education by founding the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Starting the effort out of his own home in 1975, he headed the organization for more than 20 years, distributing $30,000 in scholarships in the first year alone. Over the next 20 years, the Fund distributed a total of $31 million to more than 30,000 outstanding college students. Under his direction, the scholarship fund was named the Nation’s Best Fund Charity by Worth magazine in 1987. His legacy continues even today, as the Fund has now awarded $50 million in scholarships.

For his contributions to the Hispanic community, Ernest was honored at the White House by President Ronald Reagan, President George Bush, and First Lady Hillary Clinton. He has also received the Education Leadership Award from the College Board and the Hispanic Higher Education Award from the National Hispanic Corporate Council. In addition, he was named one of the “100 Influential Hispanics in the United States” by Hispanic Magazine.

After his retirement from education, Ernest enjoyed traveling, reading, and cheering on his favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers. Sadly, Ernest passed away on Sept. 5, 2022. He was 91 years old.

Educator Joaquin Bustoz established AP program for Tempe students

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Educator Joaquin Bustoz established an Advanced Placement math and science program for students in the Tempe Unified School District. Photo Credit: Arizona State University

There are many examples of brilliant educators who have offered their talents to improve high school instruction. One such educator was Joaquin Bustoz, Jr., a university math professor from Arizona who established an Advanced Placement program for high school students.

Joaquin was born on Dec. 30, 1939, in Tempe, Arizona, one of five children born to parents Joaquin, Sr., and Ramona. His parents, who were farm workers, also worked for their local schools, and were so revered that the Tempe Unified School District even named one of their elementary school after the couple.

In 1962, Joaquin earned his Bachelor’s degree in math from Arizona State University. Continuing his education at that institution, he earned his Master’s degree the following year, and in 1967 he completed the requirements for his PhD. After earning his doctorate, Joaquin became a professor of mathematics at the University of Cincinatti, where he taught from 1969 to 1976.

In 1985, Joaquin founded the Summer Math-Science Honors program for high school students under the auspices of the University of Arizona. Still in place today, the curriculum offers an Advanced Placement program that provides opportunities for under-represented students to study university mathematics and science while still enrolled in high school. He also devoted many hours to Native American students on the nearby Navajo and Pima Reservations.

For his outstanding work as an educator, Joaquin garnered numerous awards. For example, President Bill Clinton recognized Joaquin with the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math, and Engineering (PAEMST) in 1996.

Sadly, this talented and dedicated educator was killed on Aug. 13, 2003, in an automobile accident. He is interred at Double Butte Cemetery in Tempe.

You can learn more about this outstanding Chalkboard Champion on the website of the Mathematical Association of America by clicking MAA. You can also learn more about the Advanced Placement program he founded at ASU Summer Math Program.