Dr. SantaPaula Garcia is currently the Senior Vice President, Regional Field Executive, at Teach For America and oversees a portfolio of regions in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, and communities of D.C., NYC and Los Angeles. Dr. Garcia was the former Executive Director of Teach For America in the Rio Grande Valley region and prior to joining TFA served as Director of Instruction for the Raymondville Independent School District.
Dr. Garcia has over 20 years of educational leadership experience and has served in the public and non-for-profit sectors. During her time at Educate Texas, she was responsible for establishing and developing early college structures in two of the largest school districts in the Rio Grande Valley: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD and Brownsville ISD – increasing the number of students ready for college across her community. Previously, Dr. Garcia served as founding principal of IDEA Academy, Donna, of IDEA Public Schools. As a 1998 corps member Dr. Garcia taught reading to bilingual students in third, fourth and fifth grade in the Mercedes Independent School District in Mercedes, Texas.
Dr. Garcia holds a B.A. and double Masters in Spanish Literature and Education from the University of Texas, as well as an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University. With her husband, Luis, they have two sons, Lucas and Josiah and live in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.
