Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District is honored to welcome Dr. Silvia Romero-Johnson as our new Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning.
Romero-Johnson was born in a small town called Santiago Del Estero in Northern Argentina.
She first came to the United States in her early 20s through a teacher exchange program called American Field Service (AFS), an organization that promotes cultural exchanges for students and teachers.
Later on, she immigrated to Wisconsin and started working as an interpreter at Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), leaving her family in Argentina. Since she worked as a teacher in Argentina, her colleagues encouraged her to earn her teaching certificate through UW- Whitewater.
“I was incredibly excited to come to the U.S. because I love learning about new cultures and languages, but it was also challenging,” said Romero-Johnson. “I am incredibly thankful for all the people that helped me along the way.”
Before joining the MCPASD, she served as Director of Bilingual Programs and Instructional Equity in the Verona Area School District in Verona, WI.
Silvia also worked at Boston Public Schools in Boston, MA, as Assistant Superintendent for the Office of English Learners. During her time there, she led district transformation serving the needs of multilingual learners.
While working with MMSD, she was the principal of their first two-way immersion school. She has served as a secondary mathematics teacher and ESL and bilingual education teacher.
“We are so honored to have Silvia join our team, as she will serve as a role model for our minority student population,” said Director of Employee Services Barb Buffington. “Silvia’s expertise, knowledge and network will help us recruit other educators and leaders of color to our district.”
Silvia is an active participant in various organizations such as the American Educational Research Association, the School Superintendents Association, and the Massachusetts Association for Bilingual Education.
She is an adjunct professor at various institutions of higher education.
Silvia is also the co-author of the book - Advancing Equity for Dual Language Program-A Guide for Leaders.
“I feel proud to work for a school district that values diversity and inclusion,” said Director of Information and Public Relations Shannon Valladolid. “Having our leadership team be a direct reflection of our student population makes our district stronger and better able to serve all students.”
Silvia enjoys reading, doing yoga and meditation, and traveling during her leisure time. She enjoys the company of her husband, Larien Johnson, a fellow educator, two daughters and two grandchildren.