North Billerica, MA, November 1, 2016
For the second consecutive year, Curriculum Associates has sponsored the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents' (ALAS) scholarship program to help Latino/a administrators earn advanced degrees in education. This recent donation allowed ALAS to award two administrators with a total of $12,000 in scholarship funds. Micaela Ochoa of Pleasanton Unified School District in Pleasanton, CA received a $10,000 scholarship and Israel Rivera of Dallas Independent School District in Dallas, TX received a $2,000 scholarship.
“True leadership impacts education through its influence and focus on achievement,” said Dr. Nancy Lewin, executive director of ALAS. “Our scholarship recipients will indeed be prepared for this and their future careers through gracious and purpose-filled commitment and support from Curriculum Associates. ALAS and Curriculum Associates have built a strong partnership that will continue to support Latino/a leadership development for years to come.”
Since becoming Pleasanton USD's deputy superintendent in the 2015–16 school year, Ochoa has helped serve the district's approximately 15,000 diverse students while overseeing the district's operations, budgets and finances, and working closely with the district's leadership team and all its stakeholders. Prior to this role, she served as the chief business officer of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which serves and supports 270,000 ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in 31 school districts in the state. Ochoa has 20 years of leadership experience in education, having worked for numerous school districts as well as higher education institutions throughout California. Ochoa is currently completing her doctorate in Leadership for Educational Equity at the University of California, Berkley.
“I'm humbled and honored to be selected as one of the 2016 ALAS Scholarship recipients,” said Ochoa. “This scholarship will support the completion of my doctoral degree and my aspirations to one day become a superintendent who works on behalf of all students, especially students who don't have advocates.”
Rivera started his educational career as a bilingual teacher in Dallas Independent School District. After receiving his master's degree in Educational Administration, he was named an assistant principal and then principal of an elementary school in the district. During his tenure at the school, Rivera increased the low-performing status of the campus and helped it sustain its new ‘meeting standard’ status. This year Rivera is in charge of opening a new elementary school in the district while also leading two organizations, the Association of Hispanic School Administrators and the Dallas School Administrators Association. Additionally, Rivera is working toward his education doctorate at Southern Methodist University.
“Both of these individuals are standout leaders who are working diligently to provide the students they serve with an exemplary education,” said Aurora Martínez, Executive Director of Curriculum Associates. “We are proud to support their educational and career growth through the sponsorship of the ALAS scholarship program.”
About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, privately owned Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students.
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