My father wasn’t an educator, but he guided thousands of people in my community through difficult circumstances and led me to this profession. While he didn’t work in a school, I now teach in one that is named after him.
My father, Cesar Batalla, came to this country from Puerto Rico as a young man and quickly became a force in our community. People were often told: “See Cesar Batalla.” He was so highly thought of, the local library has a description of his life and work.
I struggled in college to choose a career, but when I considered teaching my father listened carefully and then simply said, ‘that is good for you.’
He was right. Today, I’m beginning my 23rd year as a teacher at Cesar Batalla School, a largely Black and brown, Title I elementary school that is in many ways the center of our community.
Beyond my work in the classroom, I’ve been deeply involved with my local union.
I’ve been a part of NEA Education Summer, an organizing program that allowed a team of us to gather information about the experiences of educators of color in Bridgeport and worked to build pathways to bring more of them into our schools.
This work is important for so many reasons, but for me, when a little girl with dark skin sees a strong, accomplished woman in front of her classroom—who looks like her—that changes how she thinks about what she can do. This is where I live and it’s important for my students to see me and other teachers in their neighborhood, at the beach, on the street, or in a store buying beans and rice.
Through my local union, I’m able to better advocate for our special education students. I am working to make certain that issues related to compliance and service hours are part of the discussion through negotiations with the district.
I am proud of my father and the work he did—and so incredibly happy to teach in a school with his name. Like him, I found my calling and work hard to change the lives of the people in my community. He would approve.
