Isabel Estevez is a dedicated preschool teacher who exudes warmth and caring not only toward her students but also toward their families and the entire staff at Manhattan Beach Preschool. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences in 1989 and then continued on to teach at both Montessori and developmental preschools in various communities including Culver City and El Segundo before coming to Manhattan Beach. She accepted a position with MBUSD in 2002 and was assigned to the special education division of our unique preschool program where she became the general education teacher for SPLASH (Speech and Language at School and at Home). This program incorporates speech therapy within a classroom setting, which is co-taught by both a speech and language pathologist and a general education teacher.

 

Immediately after she was hired, Isabel developed a curriculum to support the speech-language pathologists in the quest to further children’s communication skills. In her eleven years with our District, she has been instrumental in helping students achieve their Individual Education Plan goals. She is a consistent presence in all of the speech-language groups, has supported multiple speech-language pathologists within the district, and is an integral member of many IEP teams.

 

Isabel has continued to grow professionally and has obtained all of the prerequisite coursework necessary to move toward enrolling in a program to become a speech-language pathologist. She is a kind, generous teacher who always has time to listen to her students, teach them something new, answer parent questions, and support all of the staff working at Manhattan Beach Preschool. She is an outstanding choice for Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Isabel!