Alberto A Maldonado, M.Ed. Email & Phone Number

As an educator-leader and an experienced curriculum adopter, my passion is to create meaningful learning experiences for students with multicultural backgrounds, while addressing their social, emotional, psychological and academic potential. Early in my educational career, I decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Cross-Cultural teaching, because I knew it would give me a perspective on educational pedagogy that emphasized compassion, equity and diversity as its center guiding posts. Now that I’m a doctoral student in educational leadership for social justice, my goal is to use my research skills to improve programs and create systems that address the needs of all our teachers and students. My dissertation topic focuses on teacher trauma, healing and resiliency. This is a very personal and important topic for me because it seeks to understand the learning context teachers navigate and how we can create systems of support and encouragement. As teacher induction program assistant, I intend to use my research skills to implement trauma informed practices as guiding principles for creating teacher centered supports.My 24 year educational tenure in public schools across California, has taught me that the most important ingredient in creating healthy and sustainable programs is to listen to teachers and grant them the opportunity to have a say in the decisions made for their classrooms. Teachers need to feel empowered, and when they do, they thrive. This is why it is so important to implement frameworks of healing, justice, compassion, restoration and love that prioritize the needs of our educators. As an educator leader, I’ve volunteered for several committees and adjunct leadership roles that have further fueled my interest in transitioning into educational leadership positions. Among some of these roles include: Dual Language Chair, Union Representative, Curriculum Committee Adopter, Units of Study Lead, after school Math Coordinator, Science Coordinator, Technology Presenter (Riverside Consortium), ILT member, Technology Committee Member and EL grade level lead. Serving on various platforms, while teaching in the classroom, has applied my perspective on how educational systems work from the ground up. It is this same interest in leadership that led me to pursue a preliminary administrative credential at UCI. Through my training, I learned the complexities and intricate work administrators do in order to keep a school and programs moving forward.