Dr. Dolores Garcia-Blocker to be Recognized at June 15th BMORENEWS Global Forum on Women's Empowerment
(NEW HAVEN - June 7, 2012) - The BMORENEWS Global Forum on Women's Empowerment will recognize one of America's foremost education advocated, Dr. Dolores Garcia-Blocker. From Spelman to American University to Columbia, Dr. Blocker has not only perfected her craft - but has also led other educators towards academic excellence around the world. Fluent in Spanish, BMORENEWS is proud to recognize one of America's best and brightest.
To RSVP for the June 15th Forum, click here.
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Dolores Garica-Blocker, Ed.D.
Supervisor of Guidance and Talented & Gifted
New Haven Public Schools
New Haven, CT
Dr. Dolores Garcia-Blocker was born in Rhode Island to Judith and Leon Garcia, Sr. She grew up in Wilberforce, Ohio and later in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Garcia-Blocker attended public and parochial schools in New Haven through middle school.
For high school, Dr. Garcia-Blocker attended the Loomis Chaffee School (a college preparatory boarding school) in Windsor, Connecticut and then attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish. Two years later, Dr. Garcia-Blocker earned a Master’s Degree in Health/Fitness Management from American University in Washington, D.C.
While in Washington, D.C., Dr. Garcia-Blocker “fell” into teaching when an opportunity to do a guest lecture at a local high school on health issues affecting teenagers turned into a full-time teaching job at the school. During her seven year tenure there, Dr. Garcia-Blocker became very concerned about the plight of African American students, particularly girls, and she began to wonder what kind of lives these young ladies would have if they had a high school experience similar to her own collegiate experience at Spelman College.
Dr. Garcia-Blocker attended Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City, where she earned a second Master’s Degree and a Doctoral degree, both in Educational Administration, writing a dissertation on the topic of Single-Sex Public Schools for Girls.
After many years as a teacher and administrator in New York, in 2004, Dr. Garcia-Blocker relocated back to New Haven where she was appointed as Principal of the Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School. Given her rich high school experience at the Loomis Chaffee School and her research on single-sex schooling, Dr. Garcia-Blocker had a vision to provide her students with a private school educational program within a public school setting.
During Dr. Garcia-Blocker’s tenure at the Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School, she led a process to change the school’s culture by demanding excellence for and from everyone. At the end of Dr. Garcia-Blocker’s fourth year as principal, the US News and World Report in 2008 listed Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School as one of the best high schools in the United States. This recognition was given the following year as well. Additionally, Dr. Garcia-Blocker was twice recognized for closing the achievement gap at the school.
At the beginning of this school year, Dr. Garcia-Blocker was appointed to be the Supervisor of Guidance and the Talented & Gifted Program for New Haven Public Schools. In this role, Dr. Garcia-Blocker has taken her work as a principal at both the elementary and high school levels and brought it to the central office level; thus impacting students across the district-wide in grades Pre K – 12. With a relentless focus on college and career readiness for ALL, Dr. Garcia-Blocker works with administrators, teachers, students, parents, the community, and many school district partners to ensure that all students in New Haven Public Schools are ready for success in college and careers as well as ready to compete in the global economy they will face upon graduation from high school.
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