Jose C. Zapata

[Jose C. Zapata]

I was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. I am the oldest of fourteen and I currently have thirty nieces and nephews. I graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1967. I joined the Army in 1968 and liked it so much that I stayed in it for twenty-one years. I taught Basic Electronics as well as Radar, Launcher and Missile circuitry at Fort Bliss, Texas. I also served in various parts of Germany for thirteen years and visited Greece, Spain and England. I retired from the Army in 1990 and came back to San Antonio, Texas. I started working for Northside Independent School District in 1991 and have enjoyed every minute. I have taught ESOL classes to adults, middle school and high school students as well as substituted for Bilingual teachers in various elementary schools throughout the district. My primary responsibilities are those of a Language Appraiser, which means I have to test all incoming students who speak a language other than English and make recommendations as to their placement in either Bilingual or ESL classes. I also have to evaluate all students who are attending Bilingual or ESL classes at or towards the end of each school year. The district is currently ranked the sixth largest in Texas, so the task is an awesome one. Fortunately, I’m a member of a great team, and we all love working with students of all ages and backgrounds. I like to read, walk, run and exercise with weights. I also like to do crossword puzzles in ink, that way you can’t cheat. I abhor incompetence in any field. I have two mottos that I try to live by:

“The respect for the rights of others leads to peace.” – Benito Juarez (1806-1872)

“It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” – Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919)