California Educator

April/May 2022

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How did your appointment to the SBE come about? I'm always interested in roles with teacher and student voice, that prioritize the needs of our com- munity and reflect our population. When I started thinking about SBE, I wanted the board to reflect someone like my students. It was a way for them to see themselves in me. With 22 years of teaching under my belt, leadership experience with ILC and huge projects for my district, I felt ready, so I applied. Will serving on the board take you away from the classroom? For the days I have SBE meetings my district releases me from my duties, and a sub takes my place. I will then meet with the board. It's a huge commitment, and I'm grateful for support from my family and from my district. But I'm not leaving teaching! I adore teaching. Over the years there have been opportunities for me to leave, but I would never leave the best job in the world. For me, teaching is a true passion project. What do you hope to accomplish on the SBE? The pandemic has been challenging, with many stu- dents in distance learning and with new curriculum. I want to help guide what comes next. I can definitely give that expertise. I also want to be involved in professional learning for teachers and good teaching practices so we can best support students. Educators and students are surviving and thriving despite what's been happening, so now how do we continue that with recent educa- tion budget increases? How do we use the funds for programs and interventions students really need? Are you still involved with ILC? Yes, I lead our team in Montebello. We're now doing a smaller ILC project, and it's exciting to the max. We wrote in our contract that we have a voice in our professional learning opportunities (a great bargaining win). I helped start and sit on the professional development committee in my dis- trict. So, for example, every summer we have A Voice for Students, Educators Gabriela Gonzalez's new role lets students see what's possible G A B R I E L A O R O Z C O G O N Z A L E Z began her first term on the State Board of Education (SBE) in March. e elementary school teacher, a member of Montebello Teachers Association, is excited about her new role. But mostly, she is thrilled to represent edu- cators across California and show her students what is possible. "I bring to the board what I think is needed — a teacher that is practicing in the classroom, and an elementary voice," says Orozco Gonzalez, who currently teaches second grade in a predominantly Latino district. "I understand urban schools and their needs, and the inter ventions and accountability from assessm ents that h elp provide effective instruction to students. And more than ever, students in the state need a teacher who ref lects them — a child of immigrant parents, a second language learner. I like to show students examples of people in this profession and what they can achieve." O roz c o G onz al ez h a s b e en a ro l e model for students for years. A master teacher and Common Core standards expert, she has presented at multiple CTA conferences. S h e i s a t e a c h e r l e a d e r w i t h t h e Instructional Leadership Corps (ILC), a partnership of CTA, the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, and the National Board Resource Center at Stanford University. Using a "teachers train teachers" model, ILC grows and sustains a state- wide community of educators supporting other educators. She is a facilitator with NEA's Ed Communities and has served on the board of CTA's Institute for Teaching. She has written Smarter Balanced assessments and is a curriculum writer for her district. Orozco Gonzalez answered a few questions the day before her first SBE meeting. " Collaboration keeps my work fresh. Teachers are at their best when they share ideas and engage in meaningful lessons taught by actual practitioners." 13 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 2 Spotlight

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