Instruction Interruption: Season 5

2022 New Mexico Teacher of the Year Lorynn Guerrero kicks off Season 3 as the new host. She sits down with two charter school leaders to talk about how we can meet the needs of all of our students no matter their circumstances. Lorynn will focus her year of advocacy on finding ways to support our students on a path to a diploma.

Bearded dragons! Butterflies! In this episode, Alisa Cooper de Uribe closes out Season 2 with reflections on the year and a call to action for connection, advocacy, and practicing hope. 

Lorynn Guerrero, the 2022 New Mexico Teacher of the Year,  is an English Language Arts and GRADS teacher at The New America School, a public charter high school in Las Cruces. Drawn to the school’s mission to empower immigrants, emerging bilinguals, and academically underserved students, she further removed barriers to graduation by establishing a GRADS (Graduation Reality and Dual-role Skills) program for expectant and parenting teens and a child development center for their children on-campus. 

In this episode, Lorynn talks about her own journey as a teen parent who pursued education toward having her own classroom, and the importance of expanding the traditional narrative of a K-12 to college experience to be more inclusive of diverse life experiences and needs. She says of her students, “To listen to their stories, it made me realize it doesn’t matter when you get your high school diploma, it just matters that you can get it. And so, that’s made me see that the traditional way of learning is changing.” She also highlights the creative ways in which community partnerships can create opportunities for social, emotional, and physical health of students in our schools.

Aimee Parra was an elementary school educator, teaching kindergarten at Mesilla Elementary in Las Cruces Public Schools, and since the recording of this episode, has stepped into the role of Teach Plus New Mexico Teacher Network Coordinator. With a background in dance as well as curriculum and instruction, along with strong ties to her southern New Mexico community, Aimee brings a diverse body of knowledge and experience to her work with children and her work as a teacher leader in organizations like Teach Plus. 

In this episode, Aimee talks about the transformative and nourishing power of fostering relationships with and among students and families, as well as how the example and guidance of teachers can empower and inspire children to find and use their voices, and to know that leadership is an integral a part of their development.   She remarks that “I think it’s all about honoring people for who they are and what they bring to the table," and speaks to the power of leadership opportunities for teachers through organizations like Teach Plus. 

Gloria Ruiz is the Director of Community Affairs at the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA). With a background in elementary education, Gloria has taken her studies to the leadership level in myriad capacities. In her previous work at the Public Education Department’s Office of Strategic Outreach, she helped create the New Mexico Engaged framework for school-family partnerships. Gloria also serves on the Hispanic Education Advisory Council, created in 2010. 

Gloria speaks to the variety of ways that community and education can positively intersect, and how technology has played a role this past year in strengthening community and educational connections. She noted that companies “have been able to step up and provide technology and resources to support students and STEM education and career opportunities,” and encourages people to run for and participate in educational leadership roles, such as our local school boards. 

In 2014, G. Andrés Romero was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives for District 10, and currently serves as Chair of the House Education Committee. 

Representative Romero shares how his family background in education and political engagement played a role in his upbringing, and how his graduate studies led him to discover a love for preparing and participating in the learning process for students. As a public servant in education and legislation, he notes that “we are a citizen legislature,” and encourages teachers to maintain open lines of communication with the many education advocates currently serving in the House and Senate."

Mary Jean Habermann López has been a key player in uplifting the field of bilingual education in New Mexico. Her experience as a bilingual classroom teacher, school administrator, college professor, and director of bilingual education for New Mexico at the state and federal levels connected her to the prime movers of our unique and crucial bilingual programs. ​

She talks about her collaboration with Dr. Rebecca Blum Martínez and a luminous group of contributing writers to publish The Shoulders We Stand On: A History of Bilingual Education in New Mexico. This landmark book lifts the voices of indigenous and Spanish-speaking educators who have done the critical work of fostering bilingualism and biculturalism in New Mexico. She also talks about the continued relevance of bilingual education and its role in honoring and upholding students' diverse cultures.