Candidate for
Board Member; Los Angeles Unified School District; District 2

ANNAMARIE MONTAŅEZ, a teacher, has dedicated her entire 20-year professional career to K-12 and Adult School students at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) -- 17 years directly in the classroom. Her passion and extensive teaching and administrative experience give her the necessary background and ability to address the challenges faced by our students, teachers, parents, and school administrators.

Her dedication to education began as a teacher's assistant at Glen Alta Elementary in Lincoln Heights + the same elementary school she attended as a little girl. Upon completing her bachelor's degree, she began teaching second grade. Annamarie gained invaluable administrative experience by becoming the Bilingual/Title One coordinator at Glen Alta Elementary. Due to her leadership, dedication and commitment to improving the lives of her students, she transitioned full-time to teacher advisor in LAUSD's Division of Adult and Career Education, after having taught at Wilson-Lincoln Community Adult School in El Sereno and Lincoln Heights. She has worked with budgets, program improvement, implementation, and compliance for both federal and state funded programs for the District. Annamarie has successfully implemented programs that increase student achievement and parent involvement, promote family literacy, and facilitate high school credit recovery so that every student has the ability to graduate.

In 2011, she was recognized and awarded Woman of the Year by California State Senator Ed Hernandez for her outstanding service and dedication in the field of Education. She has also received commendations from the United States Congress and the City of Los Angeles for her leadership in education reform.

Annamarie comes from a family dedicated to education and service to the community. Her family has lived in the district since the early 1920's. Her great grandfather was a Principal, her mother a teacher's aide and her father a veteran and union member. The first in her family to graduate from college, Annamarie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California, her Master's in Education from the University of La Verne and is finalizing her dissertation to attain her Doctorate in Education and Organizational Leadership.

A staunch advocate for public education, Annamarie's experience gives her the skills and leadership to strengthen our schools and provide viable instructional options for all students to improve their lives and their community.