Special to the Journal
Latinos for Education announced today that education policy expert Jacqueline Monterroso will serve as Policy and Advocacy Director for the Massachusetts region, where she will lead the creation, expansion and implementation of the organization’s policy and legislative work in the Commonwealth.
Monterroso started her career in the education sector as a teacher in Miami, Florida, working with migrant students and English Language Learners during her time in the classroom. Most recently, Monterroso worked at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) where she oversaw the creation of accountability systems for the state’s virtual schools, which saw expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the strengthening of statewide accountability systems for charter schools. As the first runner up in the 2021 elections, Jacqueline was sworn in to the Revere School Committee in May 2023 to fill a vacancy. In November 2023, Monterroso was elected, in her own right, to the Committee, becoming the first Latina ever elected in Revere, where Latino students make up 60% of the student population. Monterroso currently holds the position of Vice-Chair on the Committee.
“I grew up in a farmworker community in Central Florida and never had a Latino educator who understood the challenges and realities of my community and who could inspire me,” said Monterroso. “I’m excited to join Latinos for Education and be part of the growing movement that recognizes the critical role Latino educators play in helping students achieve academic success, and advocates for policies that increase the representation of educators of color in our education system.”
Monterroso will build on and expand Latinos for Education’s current advocacy efforts to increase educator diversity and early college access for Latinos in Massachusetts. The organization has been a lead advocate for the Educator Diversity Act, a robust legislative bill that addresses challenges educators of color face in preparation, recruitment and retention.
“Jacqueline is a trailblazer and a fierce advocate for Latino students and families, understanding the need to agitate when necessary and the need to always work ‘con ganas’ to ensure all students have access to high-quality education, and we are lucky to have her join our growing team,” said Amanda Fernandez, CEO and Founder of Latinos for Education.
Jacqueline is an alumna of the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and has been managing her own scholarship for Latino, first-generation college students in Central Florida’s farm-worker communities since 2014. To read her full bio and learn more about Latinos for Education, visit: https://www.latinosforeducation.org
