"I always include literature from various cultures, in the belief that if students know their culture, they will know their greatness," says Martina Marquez, a Title I Teacher at Mt. Taylor Elementary School in Grants. At her school, Ms. Marquez has helped implement the "Excess Cost Model," a Title I program that places two teachers and two assistants in each classroom, thereby ensuring individual attention to those students who need it. Feeling that the high school drop-out problem originates in the crucial primary grades, Ms. Marquez has especially targeted first-graders for this specialized attention. Students who have participated in the program have shown high academic success in their continued education. An educator for 37 years, Ms. Marquez has offered leadership and guidance to fellow educators through her numerous professional development associations. In 1996, Ms. Marquez was named New Mexico State Teacher of the Year by the New Mexico State Board of Education.
1963 College of Santa Fe, B.A.
