December 30, 2010
California State Director - Senator (Ret.) Gloria Romero
Former California State Senator Gloria Romero is the State Director of Democrats for Education Reform and has been a forceful advocate for education reform and civil rights.
She brings to the post not only a great passion for quality education opportunities for all children, but a keen knowledge of the legislative and political process. She was elected to the 24th Senate District in 2001, representing East Los Angeles and the greater San Gabriel Valley. Upon her election she was recognized as one of the hardest working members of the Legislature and quickly rose in leadership positions. She was elected by her peers to serve as Senate Democratic Caucus Chair and as Senate Majority Leader--the first woman to ever hold that leadership position in the history of the California State Senate.
Romero served as Chair of both the Education Committee and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee on Education, making her one of the most influential voices on education policy in California. She believes that education is the civil rights issue of our time. States Romero, "My mother had a sixth grade education; I have a PhD. I understand the transformational power of education and the key it holds to accessing the American Dream".
She emphasizes that California cannot fully compete in the 21st century economy if we fail to close the Achievement Gap and create an educational system that puts students first and fosters success for all students. Towards this end, she led the way in championing California's reform legislation in Race to the Top and was the author of the imaginative and revolutionary Parent Trigger law which transfers real rights to parents of children in chronically underperforming and failing schools. "If our children are to succeed, we must confront and dismantle the stagnant status quo which has, for far too long, dominated education politics and policy in California. The time for change is now," asserts Senator Romero. "In order to transform the lives of our children, we must transform the schools to which we send them. Parents must be lead agents of change in transforming schools", she adds.
Senator Romero is the product of California's public education system. She earned her PhD in Psychology at the University of California and has taught at every level of higher education.