Program Specialist, Rialto USD Teacher Residency at Alder GSE
lbest@rialtousd.org

Pronouns: she/her/hers

LaVees Best grew up in Washington D.C. but spent most of her teaching career in California. She has worked in education for over 20 years as a secondary English teacher. She was the coordinator and founder of BSU (Black Student Union) for the first middle school she worked at in Rialto Unified School District. She soon became the ASB (Associated Student Body/Activities Director) of the same school while teaching 7th and 8th grade English for college prep and Gate classes. After a few years, LaVees decided to move to the high school level and taught Ethnic Studies, College Prep, and AP Literature. During her transition from middle to high school, she began teaching as adjunct faculty for the University of LaVerne and eventually also taught for California Baptist University. She earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as Administration. She is currently working towards her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at ULV and plans to focus her research on mentorship and well-being. As an educator, her focus has always been on culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogy and universal design for learning. For the past five years, she served as an Induction Mentor in her district. Due to her partnership with AGSE, she currently operates as a Program Specialist in her district for the first-ever Teacher Residency Program.

She currently lives in Redlands and enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband, and beautiful adult children, as well as family and friends. In her spare time, she likes going on vacations, reading, meditating, listening to audiobooks, and going to museums and gardens.