Springfield Kindergarten Teacher Desirée Garcia Named 2027 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year
Education leaders in Massachusetts recently announced that Desirée Garcia, a kindergarten teacher at Gerena Community School in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, has been named the 2027 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, with the news reported on November 2. At a recognition assembly last Thursday, a couple of hundred students chanted Garcia's name as Governor Maura Healey and district leaders joined the celebration. Garcia has taught for 11 years, including in Gerena's dual-language program.
"In our community, bilingualism is not simply an academic goal - it is a part of who we are. It is our families, our cultures, our stories and our identities," Garcia said, adding that she never wants a child who walks into the classroom speaking another language to feel they must leave part of themselves at the door to be successful.
According to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, Garcia logged one of the highest ratings the award committee has ever given. Springfield Public Schools says the district is home to at least 4,500 English Learner students, 17% of its student population, and Garcia's work is significant for those students' growth.
(Source: WAMC Northeast Public Radio)
Source: WAMC Northeast Public Radio
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：马萨诸塞州斯普林菲尔德市中心。AlexiusHoratius 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. By AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
