Mrs. Lisa Gack and Alexia Valencia partner together in an LTA against three other teacher-teacher assistant duos, in which the TA’s were quizzed on facts about their favorite teachers May 3. Photo by Francheska Pontillas.

Over the summer, campus had two positions open up in the administrative office, one of which being filled by former spanish teacher Mrs. Lisa Gack. Recently, Gack has been given a new opportunity to work as the assistant principal on our campus. 

After former Assistant Principal Mr. Jeff Detrich’s departure, an open spot in the administrative department was available. Before taking the assistant principal position, Gack was a teacher for 27 years, teaching at every grade level. She spent 10 years in kindergarten and bilingual education, as well as fifth and sixth grade Spanish. 

“Working with the students was a great opportunity [and] rewarding job. You feel good when you make outside connections, or when kids make a connection [to] the curriculum,” Gack said.

Gack’s former students enjoyed the different teaching styles she employed and developed throughout the years. Students have said they enjoyed being able to have a variety of programs to use so that it would not become repetitive. Along with using Voces, Gack added a Spanish speaking country to each unit and she taught the students about the country or a city. 

This year, as one of the new assistant principals, Gack is helping out with testing such as California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, E.L.D. (English Language Development) and technology. 

From being with students in the classroom all day to now being around campus, Gack has the opportunity to see the students’ lives around school.   

“When you’re out at break or lunch, you get to see a lot of the kids and their happiness and you can tell who’s in a good mood,” Gack said. 

Karsten Sarmiento, a former student of Gack’s, said that she had a notable impact on his academic career.

“She impacted my learning experience during her class over the course of the year. She [used] different Spanish teaching programs, she was testing them out on us and each quarter of the year we basically switched to a different program and I think I learned a lot from that experience,” Sarmiento said.

With Gack’s guidance she made Sarmiento a memorable experience for his school year. By implementing a unique approach, Gack created a unique approach in an attempt to improve her students’ learning abilities.

After Gack left, the Spanish teachers had to step up and take different roles, teaching a variety of classes. Ms. Celina Ulloa explained how working with Gack as a student-teacher brought their bond closer together. The impact Gack left on her other peers was said to be really bittersweet. 

“[I was] very happy because it was something she worked hard for,” Ulloa said. 

They worked together to ensure a smooth transition with Mr. Mark Snow, replacing Gack as their head of the language department. Although it was a big adjustment, the department continued to provide a diverse and engaging language learning experience.

by ALEXANDRA BOSANO, MATEO MARTINEZ, KELVIN SARMIENTO & JEZLYN SOTELO 

Interview Transcript