MIGUEL FIJÓ MEZQUITA
Dallas,TX
Summary
Award-winning Bilingual Educator and Instructional Leader with 17+ years of classroom and leadership experience, including 12+ years in Dallas ISD. Recognized as a Master Teacher (Top 5% in Texas) and Teacher of the Year for exceptional instructional practice, measurable student achievement, and transformational contributions to campus and district instructional excellence. Demonstrated mastery in PLC facilitation, curriculum design, TEKS/ELPS alignment, writing pedagogy, bilingual education, STEM integration, and teacher development. Experienced state reviewer for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and State Board of Education (SBOE), directly influencing statewide instructional material adoption. Highly skilled in elevating instructional systems, building teacher capacity, and driving student achievement through data-informed, equity-focused leadership.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Literacy & Writing Committee
- Developed schoolwide writing expectations, vertical alignment documents, rubrics, and calibration systems.
- Improved scoring consistency and strengthened writing outcomes across grade levels.
Campus Instructional Leadership Team (CILT) Teacher-Leader
Dallas Independent School District
Dallas, TX
01.2025 - Current
- Strengthen campus instructional systems through collaborative planning, professional development, and instructional coaching aligned to district priorities.
- Facilitate weekly PLCs focused on TEKS/ELPS alignment, lesson previews, instructional rigor, and data-informed planning.
- Implement coaching cycles that include classroom modeling, co-teaching, and actionable feedback to elevate instructional quality.
- Partner with administrators and district content teams to identify instructional trends and develop targeted improvement initiatives.
- Support fidelity of district curriculum, literacy frameworks, and assessment implementation across grade levels.
- Lead vertical TEKS alignment efforts to strengthen coherence and ensure high-quality, standards-based instruction.
- Key Leadership Contributions:
Bilingual Teacher (Grades 3–5)
Dallas Independent School District
Dallas, TX
01.2013 - Current
- Increased campus reading achievement by 40% over four years; sustained 89% STAAR passing with 60%+ Masters performance.
- Achieved 85%+ Meets/Masters in i-Ready annually, with 93% Meets/Masters in MOY 2025.
- Raised campus writing mastery, including significant gains in TEK 4.11C (Editing/Revising), outperforming feeder and district trends.
- District Curriculum Writer (2019–2020): Authored bilingual reading and writing lessons used across multiple campuses.
- Digital Instruction Leader (2020): Recorded and distributed districtwide RLA lessons during COVID-19, supporting educators and students across DISD during remote learning.
- Grade Level Chair – 7 Years (2016–2022, 2025–2026): Led collaborative planning, assessment cycles, interventions, and instructional alignment.
- Writing Teacher Leader – 7 Years (2018–2025): Delivered PD, developed district-aligned exemplars, rubrics, and anchor charts, raising schoolwide writing outcomes.
- UIL Coach: Increased student participation and success in Reading, Writing, and Spelling competitions.
- Future Engineer Lead Teacher (FELT): Advanced STEM/engineering integration across grades.
- FLL Robotics Coach – 7 Years (2018–2025): Guided students in coding, engineering design, and collaborative problem-solving.
- New Teacher Mentor: Supported novice teachers through planning, management systems, and instructional development, improving retention and campus instructional quality.
- Student Achievement & Instructional Excellence
- Curriculum Development & District Impact
- Campus Leadership Contributions
Site-Based Decision Making Committee (SBDM)
01.2025 - 01.2025
- Contributed to campus decisions regarding budgeting, staffing, professional development, scheduling, safety planning, and instructional priorities.
Instructional Materials Review Panelist (IMRA) – State Reviewer
Texas Education Agency (TEA) & State Board of Education (SBOE)
05.2024 - 08.2024
- Served as a statewide reviewer for TEA/SBOE instructional material adoption cycles.
- Evaluated K–5 materials for TEKS/ELPS alignment, rigor, depth of knowledge, cultural relevance, and accessibility.
- Ensured recommended materials supported multilingual learners and reflected equitable representation.
- Produced evidence-based recommendations guiding SBOE adoption decisions.
- Played a direct role in determining which instructional resources were approved for classrooms across Texas.
Instructional Leader
AVID Site Team & AVID Ambassador
01.2016 - 01.2024
- Led schoolwide implementation of AVID systems, ensuring consistent use of WICOR strategies, structured inquiry routines, and organizational tools.
- Facilitated professional development on AVID methodologies, academic note-taking, collaborative structures, and goal-setting to strengthen college-readiness.
- Supported AVID certification readiness through evidence collection, instructional alignment, and monitoring of program fidelity.
- Selected in December 2021 as a model classroom for a district and out-of-state instructional visit due to exemplary AVID implementation. Hosted:
- Dallas ISD teachers, principals, and academic coaches, and
- 22 visiting educators from North Dakota.
- Demonstrated best practices in engagement, WICOR routines, and bilingual instructional systems, influencing instructional practice beyond the campus.
Dallas ISD District Literacy Vision Focus Group
01.2022 - 01.2022
- Participated in districtwide literacy evaluation and planning.
- Provided teacher insight that influenced curriculum adoption and district literacy goals.
Dallas ISD Writing Framework Committee
01.2021 - 01.2021
- Partnered with district specialists to develop the K–5 Writing Framework now used across DISD.
Assessment Item Reviewer
Curriculum Associates – i-Ready Spanish Reading
01.2020 - 01.2020
- Evaluated Spanish reading items for linguistic precision, cultural authenticity, and DOK alignment.
- Improved the accessibility and quality of assessments for bilingual students.
Attendance for Credit Committee
01.2017 - 01.2020
- Monitored attendance data, supported intervention planning, and improved systems that increased both student attendance and credit recovery rates.
Education
Bachelor’s Degree - Second Language Learning
Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca
01.2007
Bachelor’s Degree - Elementary Education & Teaching
Universidad de Salamanca
01.2000
Skills
- Bilingual Instruction
- Writing Pedagogy
- PLC Leadership
- AVID WICOR
- Assessment Analysis
- Classroom Management
- STEM/Engineering Integration
- Data-Driven Instruction
- Instructional Design
- TEKS/ELPS Alignment
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
Certification
- Texas Bilingual Teacher Certification (Valid through 2029)
- TEA Master Teacher Designation (2023)
Timeline
Campus Instructional Leadership Team (CILT) Teacher-Leader
Dallas Independent School District
01.2025 - Current
Site-Based Decision Making Committee (SBDM)
01.2025 - 01.2025
Instructional Materials Review Panelist (IMRA) – State Reviewer
Texas Education Agency (TEA) & State Board of Education (SBOE)
05.2024 - 08.2024
Dallas ISD District Literacy Vision Focus Group
01.2022 - 01.2022
Dallas ISD Writing Framework Committee
01.2021 - 01.2021
Assessment Item Reviewer
Curriculum Associates – i-Ready Spanish Reading
01.2020 - 01.2020
Attendance for Credit Committee
01.2017 - 01.2020
Instructional Leader
AVID Site Team & AVID Ambassador
01.2016 - 01.2024
Bilingual Teacher (Grades 3–5)
Dallas Independent School District
01.2013 - Current
Literacy & Writing Committee
Bachelor’s Degree - Elementary Education & Teaching
Universidad de Salamanca
Bachelor’s Degree - Second Language Learning
Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca
AWARDS
Teacher of the Year, Dallas ISD – Annie Webb Blanton ES (2025), Master Teacher, Texas Education Agency (2023)
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Bilingual Education (English/Spanish)
- Writing & Reading Instruction
- PLC Facilitation
- AVID WICOR Strategies
- Instructional Coaching
- STAAR Data Analysis
- ELPS/TEKS Alignment
- Curriculum Writing
- Assessment Systems
- Student Achievement Growth
- Grade-Level Leadership
- STEM & Engineering Integration