Bassett is my home.

My family moved to Bassett in 1987.  I arrived at Erwin Elementary as a fifth grader.  I was lucky to have one of the most amazing teachers, Mr. Alexander W. Ferguson.  From him, I learned to love reading and music.  

Next I was off to Edgewood Middle School (before it was an academy). At Edgewood, I continued my love of reading and could often be found at the Sunkist Library. It was also here that I took my first band class and learned to read music.

I am so proud to call Bassett High School my alma mater.  In high school, I joined the marching band, served as the tall flags captain, and held various positions in student government. 

Thanks to the guidance of Ms. Betty Wells, I attended California State University, Fullerton and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.

Life is Good!

I returned to Bassett around 2006, and began to work as a substitute teacher in a temporary position.The wonderful teachers, staff, and students convinced me to go back to school and get my teaching credentials.  I did that AND received my Master’s Degree in Teaching from Point Loma Nazarene University. I secured a job with the Montebello Unified School District in 2013, and have been teaching special education there ever since. I love my job tremendously. It brings me so much joy, I feel truly blessed to have found my calling.

I cannot imagine myself doing anything else now.  The joy that teaching brings me is unmatched. Along the way, I became active in my local union, the Montebello Teachers Association, including serving on the Executive Committee.  This solidified my path as not only an educational advocate, but also a community activist.  Along with my colleagues, I fought to end the charter school co-location that was draining resources and students from Montebello Unified. After three years we won this fight and Montebello is once again charter-free.

The Future is Bright!

I recently completed my Computer Science authorization through UC Riverside. This happened because almost five years ago I wrote Environmental Literacy units of study with an organization named SEER (State Education and Environment Roundtable) for fifth grade NGSS standards. My units were then picked up by UC Irvine through ECforALL and together we merged Environmental Literacy and Coding.  Knowledge, science, and sharing my knowledge with my students is my passion. Teaching my students math, reading, writing, and history through science has worked well for me! The most important things to me are my family, my friends, my students, and of course, my community. I hope to bring this passion back to BASSETT and together with the community, we can open doors and make the future bright for all!

I hope I have your Vote,

Norma Gonzalez

Teacher, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Friend and Community Activist.

#somosbassett