About me
Dr. Carmen García was born in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, México, and grew up in Southern California where she took full advantage of her K-12 education. Subsequently, she attended the University of San Diego where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Spanish. Dr. García often notes that her interest in teaching was sparked by wonderful professors and teachers who supported and believed in her to succeed. With the motivation to teach, she earned a Master’s Degree and a teaching credential.
Dr. García began teaching in the Long Beach Unified School District—an experience that remains one of the most gratifying of her career. Teaching is where her passion for student success took hold and, as a result, she began to immerse herself in academic literature and found the motivation to pursue graduate study and received her Doctorate from the University of Southern California.
Dr. García’s twenty-seven-year career has allowed her to observe and participate in the educational sphere from the perspective of a Teacher, Researcher, Assistant to Superintendent Dr. Carl Cohn, Principal of an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle School, Principal of an IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) High School, Lead Principal of three high schools, and Superintendent.
Throughout her career, Dr. García has worked tirelessly to enhance and collaboratively co-create educational systems via coherence, alignment, and strategic planning to bring together district/community educational partners—teachers, staff members, school leaders, parents, students, and community members—to ensure that students remain at the forefront as they are met at their point of need and propelled into the future of their dreams. She often describes this as the “I Plus One” where each and every student is provided the opportunities, support, and resources needed to excel to their highest level of potential. She remains steadfast in her belief that a quality education is the world’s greatest equalizer that opens many doors of opportunity. Her moral compass guides her to ensure that school systems provide access and equity for all students to prepare them to be successful, productive members of society.
Through the power of teacher and staff input and collaboration, student and parent engagement, the empowerment of student and parent voice, and her deep commitment to making a difference in the lives of every student, every single day, Dr. García is now in her 4th year leading the Morgan Hill Unified School District into its next chapter of excellence.
Together with her husband, Dr. Gabriel Gutiérrez, Director of Special Education for the Hollister School District, they have three children, Sophía, Emma, and Sebastián.
