Giovanna Origel-Polanco is a 2023-2024 Teach Plus California Los Angeles Emergent Bilingual Change Agent. Giovanna is a dual language immersion teacher on special assignment 3rd- and 4th-grade intervention teacher, Student Study team chair, Instructional Leadership team member, and yearbook chair at Linda Verde School in Lancaster. She has served as a lead 5th-grade teacher, mentor teacher, Gifted and Talented Education chair, technology integration chair, yearbook chair, coding club instructor, and member of the Standards Based Grading Committee to restructure district report cards and policy. Giovanna was named Linda Verde’s Teacher of the Year (2021-2022) and was a member of the Americorps National Jumpstart (2007). She began her teaching career in bilingual education, teaching in Germany and then serving underserved communities supporting students in kindergarten-5th grade. Giovanna earned her BS in child adolescent development with an emphasis in elementary education, bilingual authorization to teach in Spanish and English, teaching credential, and MS in educational technology from California State University, Fullerton.
