Marie Tere Hirsch, Secretary
My name is Tere Hirsch and I am the secretary for LACTMA. Before my retirement in 2007, I spent 35 years as a math teacher/coach/mentor in the Montebello Unified School District. I also served out of the classroom as math leader for 3 years. My goal was to build a culture of collaboration and communication among our K-12 math teachers. By establishing a district math leadership committee, we were able to share best practices and set common goals. This committee is still going strong and has allowed teachers to have input in the creation and implementation of pacing guides and benchmarks.
I have been a member of LACTMA, CMC, and NCTM. I have presented at several conferences for these organizations. My career has always involved teaching English language learners and my passion has been the techniques and strategies that help them succeed in mathematics.
As a member of the UCLA Mathematics Project, I’ve been involved in mentoring activities with teachers and parents in many districts.
Since 1999 I have been an instructor for the UCLA Math Content Program for Teachers. Again, this has brought me in contact with several districts in Southern California.
Recently, I have been an instructor for SB472 state math textbook training for teachers through the Los Angeles County Office of Education. I have trained teachers in several districts from Palmdale to Long Beach.
I have also served on several panels for the State Board of Education in Sacramento, ranging from teacher credentialing to setting cut scores for the CST.
I feel that I’m ready to settle in and work with our region leaders and “rev up” our LACTMA organization for the benefit and support of our teachers and students. During these difficult times we need to help teachers deal with the task of reaching all students through efficient, worthwhile methods.