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January 2025 - Dr. Patricia Hurrieta

Writer's picture: CO-ALASCO-ALAS

Colorado Association of Latino/a Administrators and Superintendents LA LUZ DE LIDERAZGO - A MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT January 2025

Welcome to the CO ALAS Membership Spotlight. Each month we introduce you to one of our many CO-ALAS members. Let’s see what they are doing and what’s on their mind!

This month we are featuring Dr. Patricia Hurrieta, Director of Latine Student Success at Denver Public Schools. Dr. Hurrieta shares her professional career and current bio below. You can read the diverse experiences that have led to her various leadership roles. One of our shining stars!
Career Highlights & Education

Dr. Patricia Hurrieta, a simultaneous bilingual, has dedicated over 30 years to Denver Public Schools (DPS), bringing extensive expertise in culturally responsive educational leadership to her role as Director of the Latine Student Success (LSS) team. Patricia has served in leadership roles in DPS including Director of the district Culture, Equity and Leadership team as well as numerous principal positions supporting primarily Chicano students and families. During her tenure as Principal at Godsman, she developed and executed an innovative plan emphasizing cultural responsiveness and language development, which led to measurable improvements in academic performance. This work accelerated academic achievement and also deepened biliteracy for students in a rich linguistically and culturally responsive school culture.


Throughout her career, Patricia has created organizational frameworks that ensure Multilingual Learners (MLL) have access to linguistically diverse learning environments. Her commitment to educational excellence is evident in her promotion of evidence-based instructional strategies that support students’ pathways to biliteracy and bilingualism. Collaborating with a team across four Colorado districts, Patricia was instrumental in establishing the Seal of Biliteracy at the district and state level, recognizing students who achieve biliteracy in multiple languages.


Dr. Hurrieta holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bilingual/Multicultural Education, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Her doctoral research highlighted the traits of principals who successfully lead schools with predominantly MLL populations, contributing to exceptional student outcomes in culturally and linguistically diverse settings.

 

What is exciting about my job?

In response to the La Laza Report, as the Director of the Latine Student Success Team in DPS, I get to positively impact the lives of our Latine students, their families and our staff through strategic planning and long term goals. This aligns perfectly with my mission as an educator, to be a role model and to support our students and families in DPS. Our purpose statement, in our LSS Overview, is what drives our work. The last sentence of the purpose statement for our team captures this -Together, we will co-create transformative experiences where the excellence of our Latine communities thrives.


While DPS has been responsive to the needs of our Latine communities in many ways—for example, by providing high-quality language services and programming to multilingual learners—and was recently recognized as the most prepared district to address the needs of newcomers, centering our Latine students across all instructional systems has not consistently been a district-wide effort. This work provides an opportunity for systemic change that is embedded into every aspect of our organization. We are responding to the voices of our communities.


Words from a consejero/a

Dr. Zandra Jo Galván posted today in her Linked In: Give yourself permission to live a big life. Step into who you are meant to be. Stop playing small. You’re meant for greater things. -Unknown / Her Empowering Mindset. More than once I have underestimated myself, especially professionally. I am able to embark on this new journey as the first Director of the Latine Student Success Team because others saw that I needed to play big to win for our community, nuestra raza. We are all meant for great things!


Advice you would give a new school leader?
  1. Enjoy the students and their families. When things get tough, go find a child. I enjoy going into the preschool classrooms where hugs are given out freely in large quantities and visiting with older students (MS/HS) because they provide a good laugh as they have a well developed sense of humor!

  2. Make sure you have someone on staff who can provide you with critical feedback. Staff members may not always feel comfortable providing you with feedback, especially when constructive. On the flip side, have a friend to vent to that is not a part of your school community.

  3. Take care of yourself. Eating and sleeping are important! So is your family time.

If you catch me outside the office, you'll find...

...me moving - skiing, at the gym, a Bronco game, hiking, or paddleboarding depending on the season. I also enjoy cooking and making dinner for my extended family every Sunday. My favorites are chile rellenos, enchiladas and caldo de res.


How does CO-ALAS add value?

CO-ALAS provides a place where I feel like I belong, alongside Latine education professionals. This group provides a large network across the state of Colorado that I can call upon for advice. The high quality professional development available through the conferences that are held twice a year contributes to my own growth and allows me the opportunity to help others grow.


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CO-ALAS is a professional education association that advocates for the continued development and placement of Latino/Latina administrators who are committed to quality public education for all students.

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Denver, CO 80201

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