Currently Ana Gutierrez proudly serves the Buckeye Elementary School District as the executive director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. Previous roles include Director of Research and Assessment, Professional Development Coordinators as well as Assistant Principal. In addition, In her 12 years as an educator, Ana Gutierrez has been a career teacher, mentor teacher and is now a master teacher as part of TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement at Longview Elementary School, located in Osborn School District #8, Arizona. The TAP System is a comprehensive model that allows educators to take on extra roles and responsibilities, receive job-embedded professional development and feedback for improvement, as well as competitive, performance-based compensation.
Gutierrez is valued as a first-class leader. Her goal to raise student achievement by helping teachers to improve their craft is evident in every task she pursues, whether it is guiding TAP professional development “cluster” meetings; working with teachers to refine their lessons during observations and post-conferences; or modeling, mentoring and team-teaching to ensure that her fellow colleagues have a firm hand on how to effectively implement strategies that will increase their skills and classroom performance.
Gutierrez started working with the TAP System as a career (classroom) teacher at Longview Elementary. Because of her effectiveness in instruction and in realizing student achievement gains, her principal recruited her to become a TAP mentor teacher. In this role, she was integral to the school’s TAP Leadership Team, made up of mentor teachers, master teachers and administrators all focused on moving the whole school forward.
In 2013, Gutierrez ascended to the role of TAP master teacher. In addition to participating in all leadership team activities, she holds bi-weekly data discussions with different grade levels, which support lesson planning and interventions for students.
Due in significant part to her leadership, Longview Elementary’s AIMS Reading scores have risen from 59% to 66% between 2012-2014 and Math scores increased from 46% to 53% during that same time period. Longview—a Title I Focus School—moved from a C to a B under Arizona’s letter-grade system.
Beyond the school, Gutierrez collaborates with TAP master teachers and administrators districtwide in creating and researching strategies that support educators and students alike. Her accomplishments took her to Capitol Hill, where she presented on comprehensive educator effectiveness models. A lifelong learner, Gutierrez has networked in the state with other TAP Leadership Teams to gain insight into educational experiences that have been successful in similar schools.
Gutierrez is a first-generation college graduate. She received a B.S. in child development and family studies and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Arizona State University. She is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at Grand Canyon University.
