LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Siria Hurtado was nominated by her superintendent, Maria Ambriz. 

Ms. Ambriz has had the pleasure of knowing Mrs. Hurtado for about ten years, and has been her supervisor for the past  four years. Mrs. Hurtado had worked for Calexico Unified School District for several years, and in that time, she has earned a reputation of being a firm, yet flexible classroom teacher who holds students to high standards.

"When a position for elementary school principal suddenly became available, I was asked by trustees if there were any internal candidates that would do well in that position," Ambriz said. "I asked several district office directors that question, and the name that was unanimously recommended was that of Siria Hurtado."

Mrs. Hurtado is hard-working and driven, and has demonstrated that she is a person of strong moral fiber. She is dedicated to teaching and learning, and uses her effective communication skills to fix any situation at hand. Her passion for education is evident through the work she does with her teachers and overall learning community.  She is adept in being attentive to people's needs, and uses her gift of bringing people together to create a positive school culture for the entire learning community. She also works collaboratively with administrative colleagues, and is always willing to offer support to others.

Under her leadership over the last four years, Blanche Charles Elementary School has been improving and thriving. Test scores and attendance rates have increased as a result of her leadership. Blanche Charles was recently recognized by their school board for having the highest attendance rate for the 2016-17 school year.

"Students want to be in school, which I believe to be due in great part to the system Siria has put in place to encourage student engagement and safety," Ambriz said.

Mrs. Hurtado makes it a point to meet and greet parents at the door, reassuring them that their children are safe under her care and leadership. Positive attributes of Mrs. Hurtado include:

• She continuously works on creating and maintaining a positive learning culture at BC
• She believes in fostering the idea of growth mindset and transparency
• She encourages all staff to use the cycle of inquiry 
• She instills in staff that they are responsible for ALL students, not just the ones in their respective classrooms
• She encourages collaboration amongst all staff members
• She drives the priority that students gain knowledge and feel safe to attend school every day.
• She believes that BC students take pride in their school, where there is a focus on them becoming future leaders
• She reinforces the notion that everyone is responsible for keeping the school clean and safe.