Garcia, Maria

Biographical Note

Born and raised in San Diego, Maria Garcia received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from San Diego State University. She also obtained a teaching certificate from Point Loma Nazarene College. Garcia initially worked as an elementary school teacher, but eventually became principal at Baker, Audabon, and Bandini Elementary Schools. While at Baker Elementary, Garcia implemented a successful mentor program for at-risk students, and helped to establish a language-arts magnet program with an emphasis on computers.

During the 1970s, Garcia actively lobbied for bilingual educational programs, attending many conferences focused on bilingual education and Mexican-American education. In addition, Garcia was an active member of the Chicano Federation of San Diego County, which provides services to Latino families. She also sat on several advisory boards related to Chicano/as issues and education, such as the Minority Advisory Council and the Mexican-American Education Project.