Subject: Pre-K, Bilingual
School: Bruce-Monroe Elementary School

Ramiro Acosta is a unique teacher. A native of Colombia, he worked his way from parent coordinator, to educational aide, to teacher over the past 16 years. He is well-known and well-respected in the school and local community for strong parent and family engagement, visiting over 90% of his families in their homes before the start of the school year. Mr. Acosta was integral to establishing the Dual-Language program at Bruce-Monroe. He teaches in a Spanish language classroom and is exceptionally adept at making the language accessible to all of his students, regardless of their first language. His excitement and engagement in his craft is evident in the way he animates and differentiates his instruction. He is also a leader and role model among the staff at Bruce-Monroe, acting as the LSAT chair and maintaining a strong presence in the successful campaign to keep the school from closing its doors in 2010.