Meet the Authors

Alejandra Benítez is a bilingual educator with 20 years of experience and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction. With a background as a teacher, instructional coach, and Biliteracy Specialist, she now works as an independent consultant, instructional designer, and author. She supports educators in guiding emergent bilinguals toward biliteracy and cultural awareness and develops evidence-based Spanish literacy resources that promote structured, authentic, and engaging literacy instruction.

Rosa Palafox-Torres, a bilingual educator with over 20 years of experience and a Master's in Advanced Literacy, is a passionate dual language consultant. A former emergent bilingual student, she has served as a bilingual teacher, curriculum facilitator, and coordinator, specializing in biliteracy and program implementation. Rosa is dedicated to creating culturally relevant curricula that meet the cognitive, linguistic, and affective needs of bilingual students. She thrives on collaboration, sharing research-based strategies to empower educators and foster inclusive classrooms where every student succeeds.

Kerry Gavett grew up in Spain, Canada, and Greece and developed a love for Spanish culture and Spanish-speaking people. Kerry has over 15 years’ experience teaching Spanish reading interventions to small groups of kindergarten through 2nd grade students. To meet the need of struggling readers, she led a team of educators at an elementary school in Oregon to create the Spanish Foundational Skills program for early readers called El camino al éxito. Together with Carmenza Sarvay, Kerry collaborated to create El próximo paso al éxito which is designed to continue where El camino al éxito leaves off, providing extra support for 1 st and 2 nd grade students. Kerry holds master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky and Corban University.

I was born and raised in Colombia. Spanish is my native language, but I also speak English, French, Dutch, and Italian. I lived in Europe for eight years and have been in the United States now for more than 35 years. I am a retired teacher with many years of experience in Elementary school teaching Spanish Native Literacy, ESL, and Spanish reading in a dual language setting. Helping students who struggle to read has been and will remain my passion.

Maria Uribe has been in education for more than 40 years. She began her teaching profession in Bogotá Colombia as a bilingual teacher in the elementary levels. Maria moved to the Unites States in 1990. In Denver, she continue her teaching career as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, and assistant principal, principal and currently as a professor. Maria earned a master’s degree in Multicultural and Bilingual Education from the University of Colorado Boulder, a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Denver and received her principal license from Denver University. Maria has received various recognitions including the Colorado Association of Bilingual Education award in 2007, the best elementary principal in Denver Public schools in 2010, the Leadership Alumni Award University Colorado Denver in 2014 and the SEHD Excellence Award for Service in 2019. Maria is the co-author of Literacy Strategies for English Language Learners and the co-author of Intellectual Capital: The Intangible Assets of Professional Development Schools. She has also published a number of articles on bilingual education bilingual learners. Maria has presented in various conferences around the nation and the world about teacher education and English language learners. In 2016, Maria wrote a children book about deportation, “Todos vamos a estar bien” “we’re Going to Be Alright”. In October of 2020 she published, “Hay algo mal en mí?” and “Is There Something Wrong with Me?” For the last five years, Maria has collaborating with Pacific Learning in different roles. She had reviewed the books from Pathway literacy in Spanish, the author of the Sistema de Intervención SIL 4-5 and her last contribution the revision and update of the reading assessment named Diagnóstico de la lectura y la escritura DEL.

I’ve been working in educational sales and consulting since right before my first child was born. He is driving and looking at colleges now! Before becoming a Dad, I was Mr. Werling at a variety of schools in Texas and Spain. I’ve taught in classrooms focusing on ESL; bilingual; dual language and beginner Spanish. My time in the publishing world has been a blessing and I’ve worked with some of the best out there. Throughout my time, I’ve come to realize that my passion and calling is for working with the emergent bilingual community to promote bilingualism and biliteracy. As a parent and former educator, it is paramount that I only professionally align myself with companies that produce the very best. If I wouldn’t use it in the classroom or desire that my kids’ teacher use it-I do not carry it! I am very proud of the work we are doing at Pacific Learning and the resources we currently offer and those to come!