Dr. Lillian Torrez is a resident of Taos, New Mexico, and she is a native New Mexican as well. Her family migrated from Albuquerque, but Dr. Torrez has been living in New Mexico her entire life. Dr. Torrez is the superintendent of Taos Municipal Schools, which includes ten schools. Because she is usually busy with her superintendent work, Dr. Torrez loves to spend her free time enjoying working out on her Peloton. Other than that, she also loves spending time with her family.
How Dr. Torrez Got into this Field
Whenseeing her career counselor at the University of New Mexico, the counselor advised her to join the education field. This is because she saw Dr. Torrez's potential and firmly believed it would fit her very well. She also told Dr. Torrez that she could do great with special education, and Dr. Torrez did not hesitate a bit to enter the field of special education.
Today ,Dr. Torrez works with her leadership team, directors, and principals. The main goal is to ensure that the students do best in their learning environment, especially during the pandemic. Therefore, they come up with decisions that factor in the well-being of the children in their institutions.
Challenges During the Transition
Last year, Dr. Torrez and her team had to juggle through different strategies to find ones that can cater to their student's educational needs. This year, things are looking more positive, especially with the transition into in-person teaching. Additionally, she is also happy that parents decide whether their children should attend in-person classes or online. For her, the main objective remains to meet every child's needs by working closely with their families.
Dr. Torrez's Goals During this Transition
Currently, Dr. Torrez and her team highlight the need for behavioral health services. Furthermore, these services should go out to their students, staff, and families as well. Therefore, Dr. Torrez and her team realize they need to offer the needed emotional and social learning. Hence, their goal is to provide their students with as many services as they need for better behavioral health.
Dr. Torrez's Perspective of this Year
Dr. Torrez thinks that this year will turn out differently from the last. This is because she believes that there will be more students moving back to the full re-entry model. However, she still feels that there are many hurdles to cross to provide the required assistance to every child, both academically and socially. However, they continue to assess themselves and work on better ways to ensure that every child's needs are met.
The Precautions in Place for the Students and Staff
Dr. Torrez and her team will check temperatures, maintain social distancing, ensure that people have their masks on, and offer proper sanitation methods. Like most people on her team, Dr. Torrez is vaccinated, but she continues to wear a mask and face shield. Additionally, she also ensures that her staff practices daily safety measures as they continue to offer their services to other people.
Her Encouragement Message
For Dr. Torrez, it is only gratitude that she holds dearly in her heart. She encourages Taos students, family, and the whole community to be thankful for what they are fortunate enough to have. Dr. Torrez also appreciates the help from non-profits, and she is looking forward to seeing the senior class graduating and celebrating them this year.
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