Gloria Elena Lopez

I am a retired elementary educator grew up speaking English and Spanish simultaneously in Colorado. At age six I collided with linguistic segregation when I spoke Spanish during English instruction and was dehumanized and devalued by the teacher along with two classmates for our brilliance. My 35 year career in education was haunted by the racist practices of this school official, I never bonded with school communities as a teacher or principal, I was too busy trying to hide from my past!

At age 65, I found an effective therapist and treatment for PTSD which compelled me to write and publish my memoir. No student or teacher should ever have to keep such secrets about they learned in a place called school.

This is a southwest story told by a student who became a teacher.