Taylor Elementary School’s bilingual education specialist scores county accolade

**REGIONAL RECOGNITION:** During its 12th annual A Salute to Teachers gala in October, the Santa Barbara County Education Office gave Santa Maria teacher Gloria Sevilla its distinguished new educator award. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Santa Barbara County Education Office

While completing her teaching credential, Gloria Sevilla worked as a student teacher at Taylor Elementary School in Santa Maria, where she eventually returned to take on the role of bilingual education specialist.

Her duties range from in-class instruction to essentially working as a case manager for bilingual students with disabilities, she explained in an email interview.

“I advocate so that students can have an education that they can access linguistically and culturally while drawing on their strengths as neurodivergent learners,” said Sevilla, who recently won an award for distinguished new educator from the Santa Barbara County Education Office.

“Having been selected for this award gives me motivation to continue advocating for Individualized Education Programs (IEP) grounded in evidence-based practices, which also support our multilingual learners with disabilities,” she said.

With a schedule split between time in the classroom and hours working with students and their families on mapping out the short-term and long-term learning goals an IEP entails, Sevilla described her job as bridging the fields of bilingualism and special education.

“At this point in my career, I have taught from grades TK through sixth grade,” she said. “Having taught so many grade levels now, I often think about when I was a student in all of these grades. And I try to put myself in the perspective of the students to reflect on how to support them best.”

This year marked Sevilla’s third as a bilingual education specialist. In October, the County Education Office presented three local teachers, including Sevilla, with its award for distinguished new educator, during the organization’s 12th annual A Salute to Teachers gala.

“Receiving this recognition has definitely been the highlight of my career,” said Sevilla, a longtime local and Cal Poly alumna.

“I did not attend Taylor Elementary myself as a student, but I did grow up in the Central Coast, specifically the Santa Ynez Valley,” she said. “I don’t remember my first day of school as vividly anymore. But I do remember the happy anticipation of waiting in line with my TK peers, about to walk into our classroom. I was so curious that I kept peeking beyond the person in front of me to see what was inside the classroom.”

A view into Sevilla’s classroom where she currently teaches would reveal a welcoming space to engage in art projects and games. Some of her pupils like to take advantage of those opportunities before the school day officially begins, she explained.

“Some students stop by my classroom before the bell rings to eat their breakfast, to work on their arts and crafts, to play with the marble run or remote control cars, or to talk,” she said.

Throughout a regular school day, Sevilla ventures from her home room to eight additional classrooms, while leading group lessons on math, language arts, and other subjects, with assistance from some of her peers staffed at the school.

“I’m very grateful for my paraeducator staff who worked with me—this year and in the past—to support my students throughout the day. I could not do this without them,” Sevilla said. “A majority of my teaching focuses on mathematics, English language arts, and social-emotional learning. However, I also incorporate interdisciplinary subject areas such as computer science and art, always ensuring we are working on IEP goals.”

During recess and lunch, Sevilla said she sets some of her time aside to check in on her students and occasionally join them for some outdoor fun.

“Sometimes, I go outside with them to play soccer, pickleball, or volleyball,” Sevilla said. “After the school day concludes, my day continues, leading IEP meetings with parents. … I enjoy building partnerships with the families and getting to know the students. Together, I trust that we can always find ways to empower the students within the school environment and beyond.”