It was her years of work in the development of bilingual education and bilingual special education that gave her the most satisfaction.
TUCSON, AZ, August 21, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Elsa Norma Padilla with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mrs. Padilla celebrates many years' experience in her professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes she has accrued in her field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mrs. Padilla enjoyed 36 wonderful years in the Tucson Unified School District in Tucson, Arizona. Originally hired as a special educator teacher in 1970, just after graduating from college, she later accepted positions as a bilingual diagnostician and the assistant director of special education. Promoted to principal at the Esteban Ochoa Elementary School in 1989, she eventually transitioned into the role of compliance coordinator at the same school district in 1996. Mrs. Padilla concluded her career as an educational consultant for the district in 2008.
Determined to make change, Mrs. Padilla's time as a principal gave her a voice in the school system. Even more importantly, it was her years of work in the development of bilingual education and bilingual special education that gave her the most satisfaction. As an immigrant of Cuba, learning to speak English was essential. While working for the district, she notably spent time on the bilingual diagnostic team and authored the bilingual special education program. Mrs. Padilla also became involved in the diagnostic aspect of teaching after realizing that too many minorities were enrolled in special education.
A celebrated figure in the field, Mrs. Padilla also taught at the college level during the 1980's. A faculty member at the University of Arizona in Tucson and Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, she taught in the department of special education between 1983 and 1987. She also spent many years as a consultant in her field, was responsible for spearheading the restructuring of a school project that was funded with the assistance of a grant from the Mott Foundation and served as a reader for the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs with the United States Department of Education.
Active with numerous civic organizations during her career, Mrs. Padilla most notably served as an AmeriCorps Vista advisory council member in Tucson between 1990 and 1993. She was also a member of the economic development advisory board for the city of South Tucson. Furthermore, Mrs. Padilla co-authored the 1995 book "The Courage to Change: Stories from Successful School Reform." The book focuses on a complex educational restructuring project at Ochoa Elementary in Tucson, Arizona with several goals in mind: to dramatically improve student achievement in the core subjects; develop new assessment and evaluation practices; and develop teaching strategies, curricula and school structures that meet the needs of poor, minority and bilingual students.
Prior to embarking on her career, Mrs. Padilla pursued an education at the University of Arizona. First earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1970, she went on to complete a Master of Education with the university. Successful in securing a 1984 grant through the United States Department of Education in Tucson, she was also honored with a National Education Association Excellence Award in 1994. A celebrated Marquis listee, Mrs. Padilla has been featured in over 20 editions of Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in the West, Who's Who in the World and Who's Who of American Women.
Mrs. Padilla has been married for 52 years to Pedro M. Padilla and they are the proud parents of two sons, Jorge and Alejandro, grandparents of eight grandchildren and great grandparents of six.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to her profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Mrs. Padilla has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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