How I Teach
Unleashing the Power of Immigrant Voices to Transform Our Schools
Edwin Pérez is a local and state activist and award-winning Spanish teacher who champions equity for multilingual and immigrant students in Baltimore County.
As a Spanish teacher in Baltimore County, my daily work transcends verb conjugations. It is an active commitment to con-structing a truly equitable, diverse, and inclusive educational landscape. As a union member, I’ve found my purpose in advancing educator practice to intentionally empower our immigrant students and their families. This is no longer a side conversation—it is a necessity for the future of public education and demands that we shift from passive awareness to active engagement.
My approach to this work is built upon three strategic and interlocking pillars designed to shift systems and elevate student power.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Student Power
In my classes, I intentionally create a space where students can explore, affirm, and express their own traditions, culture, and histories. The curriculum becomes both a mirror and a window.
A critical success, born from my MSEA Minority Leadership Training, is the creation of student-led clubs that support immigrant youth, leading to the Nepal Student Association and the Unidos Somos Fuertes/United We Are Stronger Latino Student Union at Perry Hall High School. These clubs are powerful platforms where students gain the confidence to lead, share their stories, and build community.
These youth leaders are not just passive recipients. They are active advocates recognized with a community service award from the Latino Providers Network of Maryland. They advise at meetings of Maryland WELL (Workgroup for English Language Learners) and MSDE, meet with members of the Maryland Latino Legislative Caucus, and form community partnerships with the Latino Racial Justice Circle to raise scholarships for immigrant students.
Advocacy for Immigrant Students and Family Empowerment
My core belief is that a student’s academic success is directly tied to how seen, safe, and supported they feel. This conviction pushes me beyond the classroom and into community leadership roles.
As the chair of the Justice, Education, Inclusion, and Equity Committee and the multilingual community partnership for the Baltimore County PTA Council, I focus on dismantling systemic barriers. Working together, we ensure that multilingual students and parents receive clear information about the Maryland State Biliteracy Seal program credential, which supports diverse graduates with an essential achievement for their post-high school lives.
Social Justice Leadership and Policy Impact
My commitment to equity extends directly to how our union and school system makes decisions. I’m a member of the board of directors of my union, the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, and a former chair of its Minority Affairs Committee. Most recently, I was part of the team that developed TABCO’s strategic plan and successfully advocated for the use of the NEA model of a racial equity lens in its development.
To solidify this work across Maryland schools, we must collectively commit to institutional excellence by:
- Prioritizing the hiring of diverse staff that reflects our student population and insisting that systems provide mandatory, comprehensive training on implicit bias and cultural responsiveness.
- Insisting on curricula that includes a wide variety of viewpoints and voices to genuinely represent and honor diverse experiences, ensuring every student finds their voice and sees their potential reflected in their learning.
- Fostering youth leaders, collaborating with union colleagues, and relentlessly advocating for an equitable system so we can build an informed network that is truly responsive.
I am inspired and motivated each day by the diverse, vibrant community that I have the honor of teaching and serving.