Gandhi said, “You have to be the change you want to see in the world.” As President of TODOS I would continue the work of my esteemed predecessors and move TODOS forward, working to fulfill its mission and goals. This is especially important as we begin to implement Common Core Mathematics. We must constantly remind ourselves that all students are gifts to us, and all students’ needs must be considered when thinking about Common Core implementation.  TODOS is an organization dedicated to this.

The responsibility of providing rigorous and relevant mathematics education to ALL students is at the heart of who I am and what I do.  I have worked in education for over 45 years. My career has taken me to the Peace Corps in Liberia, West Africa; Managua, Nicaragua; The Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana; Belmont, Massachusetts and Pomona, California. These communities represent the diversity of America.

I believe I have been able to reach and teach many students and fellow educators. What I have learned from them is manifold. We all need people who believe in us and who work to ensure our access to achievement in mathematics teaching and learning. 

I retired from the Pomona USD in 2010, however, not from public school education. My new work and volunteer activities keep me active at all levels from pre-K through college. 

Supervision of student teachers in secondary mathematics for Cal Poly Pomona allows me to give forward while having access to mathematics classrooms as the Common Core is introduced. Writing and teaching online mathematics courses for teachers through the LA County office of Education keep me abreast of learning through technology. Professional Development in Mathematics in various districts, through Los Angeles Riverside County Office of Education and with the California Mathematics Project is a large part of my work. Through the last venue we are working on a project offering access to Common Core Statistics for teachers and students grades K-12. 

As a volunteer, I have been a Director for TODOS for the past two years, during which time I have worked to establish the organization Educators of Native American Students (EONAS) as a Special Interest Group (SIG) of TODOS. Working on the program for the first National TODOS conference last June helped me keep current with the research and practices of the 21^st century.  Currently, I am helping to develop ways for TODOS to reach and teach parents and families.

For four years I was the president of the California Mathematics Council – South, during which time the focus of the organization was equity for all students.  I continue to serve as chair of the Common Core Circles Committee that CMC-S shares with the California Association of Mathematics Educators (CAMTE), an organization for which I am currently president. 

The Region XI (LA County) California Mathematics Network is also a group I lead. Our major work focuses on English Learners and mathematics. We developed Professional Development for elementary and high school students towards this end.  We are also working on creating Math Trails around inner city schools in Los Angeles. The goal is to help our students recognize the mathematics around them and know it as their own.

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