Mr. Jonatan Cruz

Teacher of the Year 

Meet Dallas ISD’s 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year Choice & Magnet Schools Category, Mr. Cruz!

GAME ON, 5th GRADERS! 

Jonatan Cruz is the dual language instructional lead teacher and reading language arts teacher at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove. Cruz has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a Concentration in Human and Regional Geography from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Pedras. He has also studied Portuguese and has taken graduate courses in linguistics and educational leadership.

He first taught 2nd and 3rd grade at Bishop Arts STEAM Academy Elementary School. His skills allowed him to become part of the STAG in PG team, where he has taught 4th, 6th, 7th, and now, he will be teaching and mentoring 5th graders as they prepare for their next academic journey in middle school. 

He has served in leadership roles on the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee, Technology and Innovation Committee, Climate and Culture Committee, as the Teacher Excellence Initiative campus expert, on the Magnet Assessment and Recruitment Committee, and on the implementation of the dual language program on the campus. He has also worked and collaborated with the Dual Language ESL department as a cadre member and has trained teachers on dual language best practices and the new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and has also been selected to serve as a Dallas ISD curriculum and assessment writer.

As a first-generation college student in his family, he has experienced both the challenges and the greatness of having an open mind to new possibilities, opportunities, cultures, and languages. While in college, he had the opportunity to participate in conferences and seminars at various locations, including Puerto Rico, Texas, Ghana, Malta, Portugal, California, and Brasil.

As a proud speaker of Spanish, English, and Portuguese, he enters the classroom every day with enthusiasm, because he relates and understands his role and responsibility in being an essential part of Dallas ISD students’ journey to becoming well-rounded bilingual citizens and its value moving forward into their bright future. 

His personal, academic and professional experiences have  filled him with an unshakable belief in collective efficacy and collective equity.  Cruz uses this belief as the foundation for his students’ achievement in academic, cultural, linguistic, and social endeavors. From him, they acquire a passion to change their society for the greater good.

Science Teacher

I am a proud son of a bicultural family, raised from Mexican and Irish roots; I grew up in the vibrant southside of Mexico City. As a TAG student, I loved learning about a lot of different things. My biggest wish was to see the world with my own eyes and make the pictures in my books come to life. This made me want to double major in International Relations and Political Communication. I finished with a Magna Cum Laude from UDLAP and a minor from Texas Christian University (Go Frogs!). This made it possible for me to go to school in the UK, where I got my Masters in International Development from the University of East Anglia. When I went back to Mexico, I obtained a Ph.D. in Management. I worked in different international businesses for seven years before I found my calling in the classroom. This will be my ninth-year teaching, and my first year as the 5th grade science teacher at Pleasant Grove. I'm a huge Star Wars and Lord of the Rings fan, a student of the force, and I believe there's a spark to be ignited in everyone. "I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me", is my favorite Star Wars quote.

Provengo orgullosamente de una familia bicultural, donde fui criado con fuertes valores irlandeses y mexicanos. Crecí en el sur de la Ciudad de México, en el barrio de Coyoacán, rodeado de arte y cultura. Como estudiante con altas capacidades (TAG), creció en mí el amor por el conocimiento, disfrutando aprender de diversos temas. Mi mayor deseo siempre fue ver el mundo con mis propios ojos, trayendo a vida las imágenes de mis libros. Debido a ello, realicé una doble licenciatura en Relaciones Internacionales y Comunicación Política en la Universidad de las Américas, Puebla y en Texas Christian University. Al terminar la carrera, recibí el premio Magna Cum Laude por el mejor promedio de mi generación y esto me permitió recibir una beca completa para estudiar en la University of East Anglia en Reino Unido, donde obtuve una Maestría en Desarrollo Internacional. Al regresar a México, completé, mis estudios con un doctorado en Administración. Después de trabajar durante siete años en diversas empresas internacionales, encontré mi vocación en la enseñanza. Este será mi noveno año como profesor y mi primero como maestro de Ciencias de quinto año. Soy un gran admirador del Señor de los Anillos y de la Guerra de las Galaxias, creo que existe una llama dentro de cada uno de nosotros y que todos podemos encenderla para guiar nuestro camino. Mi cita favorita de la Guerra de las Galaxias es: “Yo soy uno con la Fuerza y la Fuerza está conmigo”.