Interim Director, Aspire Teacher Residency LA at Alder GSE
taquita.aguilar@aspirepublicschools.org

Pronouns: she/hers

Taquita was born and raised in all parts of Los Angeles and the Inland Empire and received her BA in Liberal Studies and MA in School Administration from Loyola Marymount University. Her journey in education began in 2010 in the city of Watts. There, Taquita served as a City Year Corps member, supporting elementary intervention and after-school programming. She began teaching in 2011. Teaching in fifth, sixth, and seventh grade led her to discover a profound love for mathematics education. It was here that Taquita rediscovered her love for numbers and discovered the need for a “noisy” math classroom. To this day, she has an unwavering belief that math is not silent, and that all of our students are brilliant. Beginning in 2018, she served as principal of a TK-6 elementary school. There, she learned about supporting adults, analyzing school systems, inclusive instructional practices, and community engagement.

Family and community are strong parts of why Taquita does the work she does. At the heart of her work lies her role as a mother of two. Taquita’s commitment to her own children serves as the cornerstone of her dedication to ensuring that every child receives the quality education they deserve. While the majority of her life is education, she is slowly learning pieces of who she is outside of the work. First, Taquita is a huge music fan of many genres, but she has a deep love for rap and 90’s R&B. When she is not working, she is hanging out with her pets, sisters, or the larger community of friends. Taquita needs and loves the sun, water, movement, and laughter. She thrives in spaces that welcome her as her authentic self and loves to encourage others to show up as who they naturally are.