PALMDALE – Palmdale School District paraeducator Jessica Albornoz was chosen as the 2016 California Association for Bilingual Education Paraeducator of the Year! Albornoz is the fifth person from the district to take home the award.
“Jessica is a perfect example [of] how our faculty and staff work hard in building on the strengths and cultures of our students; it reflects heavily on our goals in the Palmdale Promise,” stated Palmdale School District Superintendent Raul Maldonado. “The ability to communicate efficiently in two different languages gives our students a huge advantage in the real world.”
Albornoz transitioned from a substitute position in 2010 to a full-time Parent Community Liaison position at Golden Poppy.
Principal Ryan Beardsley nominated Albornoz for consistently going above and beyond her scope of work.
“Jessica recognized early on there is a direct link for parent involvement to student achievement,” stated Beardsley. “Our parent involvement numbers have greatly increased, and her impact on the education of every child at Golden Poppy is evident to every person who walks the halls.”
On a daily basis, Albornoz dedicates her time to improving parent and community involvement in order to maximize student success, and she advocates for bilingual education. She also volunteers as a Parent Teacher Association member.
Albornoz was among 11 nominees up for this year’s award.
She will receive the award at the annual CABE Conference in San Francisco this March.
The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) is a non-profit organization that promotes bilingual education and quality educational experiences for students in California.
[Information via news release from the Palmdale School District.]
–