Longtime Washington HS teacher recognized at National Association for Multicultural Education conference

Teacher Ed Marquez and his daughter Lauren (Lincoln HS alum and Stanford senior) in Nogales, Mexico.

Ed Marquez, a longtime math teacher at Washington High School, is the 2019 winner of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) teacher spotlight. The NAME Awards provide national and international recognition of individuals, groups, and institutions that make outstanding contributions toward multicultural education, educational equity, and social justice.

Mr. Marquez was recognized at the 29th Annual Conference of the National Association for Multicultural Education in Tuscon, Arizona, this past November. Among other accomplishments, Mr. Marquez and his wife Michelle co-founded Washington High’s AIMS (Athletes In Math Succeed) student-run club in 2006, which inspires high school student athletes to undertake advanced math, mentor Lafayette Elementary students, develop friendships with Washington LEAD students, and become positive adult leaders in their communities.

“I am very grateful to be part of SFUSD's supported programs, like Complex Instruction and the team at Wash that challenges me to be inclusive, compassionate, and creative in supporting our students to learn,” Mr. Marquez said.

“It was an honor to recognize Ed Marquez as a National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) teacher spotlight recipient, which is given to one teacher nationwide. It’s clear to me that if we could all learn to teach, act, and speak from the heart in the ways that Ed does both inside of his classroom and out, our world would be a MUCH better place! I am very grateful to know Ed, to have witnessed him in as he practices his art of teaching and to get to grow with him in this most important profession!” said NAME regional director, Krista Mcatee.

Attendees of this year’s conference also visited Nogales, Mexico, where the town mayor spent several hours with conference attendees near the border, where they visited a center for people hoping to cross the border and brought care packages for them.

Mr. Marquez said his main takeaways from the conference are a recommitment to recruiting more students of color into the AIMS program, intentionally supporting underserved youth, and relearning Spanish.