California Teachers Association recognizes 2010 Toyota Teacher of the Year finalist

The December 2010/January 2011 edition of California Educator, a publication of the California Teachers Association, featured an article about 2010 Toyota Teacher of the Year Finalist Rosa Hernandez from Long Beach, Calif. Hernandez is a Head Start educator in the Long Beach Family Literacy Program, which receives funding from the Toyota Family Literacy Program.

From the press release:

“Hernandez firmly believes that every child’s first teacher is a parent, and that family literacy is a priority, and has experienced it firsthand.

“An immigrant herself, Hernandez arrived in the U.S. unable to speak English and enrolled her daughter in the Head Start Program. She enrolled herself in college and earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Now with Head Start, Hernandez spends her time working with children who have parents in similar situations.

“Roberta Lanterman, Long Beach Family Literacy Program Director, shares that ‘Ms. Rosa is a key building block in our family literacy program. She embodies the importance of intergenerational learning and nurtures the families we serve.’

“Hernandez states, ‘I was lucky because I had a lot of wonderful people support me and guide me with the right tools to help me and my child to succeed. And I’m trying to provide all the tools and guidance these parents need to succeed.'”

For more information, read the full article, “Literacy starts in the family.”

NCFL congratulates Hernandez on this well-deserved recognition!