Elaine Romero
Teacher in Albuquerque Public Schools, NM
As a high school student, Elaine had dreams of being a teacher but lost confidence in herself as a Latina surrounded by a predominantly White student body. However, she was able to regain her confidence and earn a Master’s in Education from the University of New Mexico. Her goal is to ensure no students find themselves in a similar situation but instead retain their confidence to accomplish their dreams. Twenty years after her graduation, Elaine served as a long-term substitute in a small Catholic School. After that she completed an education post-bachelor program and placed herself in high-need classrooms. She currently works with Albuquerque Public Schools to improve teaching in high-poverty, high-minority schools. Her other accomplishments include securing a federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration grant in her first year of teaching. She has also been involved as a Teacher Ambassador Fellowship for the US Department of Education, and worked with Strengthening Quality in Schools, a New Mexico Public Education Department initiative for school improvement. She is also an education policy analyst for the New Mexico Senate and a community activist for creating strong public schools for all children. Elaine is completing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.
Why do you teach? I teach because teaching is a social justice profession and one that is essential to preserving American democracy
What do you love about teaching? What I love about teaching are the relationships that develop with children, my colleagues, and the community – who respect educators.
When you were a student, was there a great teacher who inspired you? There was no single teacher who inspired me as a K-12 student but at the university level, renown Chicano writer Rudolfo Anaya was my undergraduate advisor and he helped me understand our history in New Mexico and the Southwest. Currently, my dissertation chair, Dr. Allison Borden inspires and encourages me daily to stay persistent in completing my dissertation work.
