The Fulbright Commission and U.S. Embassy in Uruguay recently selected Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy (Legacy) in the Dallas area to participate in the prestigious Visiting Uruguayan Educator Program. Legacy was paired with a Fulbright Scholar from Uruguay for this distinct honor, and the program offers the host and the visiting educator an opportunity to share teaching strategies and best practices; compare school systems; discuss global issues, culture, curriculum development, and educational policy; and develop joint projects. Approximately 300 educators applied for the program, but only 45 were selected for participation. Two schools in Texas were chosen by the Fulbright Commission to partake in this program, including Legacy.
During the last two weeks, Legacy campuses in Mesquite and Plano have hosted Pablo Ferrari, who is currently a principal at the Jubilar Juan Pablo II High School in Montevideo, Uruguay. He is participating in the Visiting Uruguayan Educator Program to learn innovative ideas from U.S. schools and utilize them to improve the educational programs and practices at his home school in Montevideo, which is currently on summer break. He has also shared the good practices that have worked with his students who come from some of the lowest poverty areas in Montevideo.
Principal Ferrari’s educational background includes a computer analyst degree from the University of the Republic, a bachelor’s degree in education from the Catholic University of Uruguay, and a degree in secondary education mathematics from Instituto de Profesores Artigas. Some of his professional experience includes teaching math to students from middle grades to the university level, as well as serving as a technical advisor at a state agency.
Legacy prepared a full schedule for Principal Ferrari’s time with rotations at Legacy’s Mesquite West Elementary campus, Mesquite West Secondary campus, and the campus in Plano. Principal Ferrari has been shadowing the district and campus leadership and discussing best practices during the times for observations. His schedule has also included professional development opportunities, parent meetings, faculty meetings, visits to other public charter school campuses, as well as cultural events.
Dr. Rebecca Good, the superintendent and CEO of Legacy, made sure that Principal Ferrari’s schedule included activities exposing him to Texas including visits to the Reunion Tower, Perot Science Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, the Arboretum, an east Dallas community garden, a Dallas Maverick’s basketball heartbreaker game lost in overtime, and a night time tour of downtown Dallas. The mayor of the city of Mesquite also attended a meet and greet event and brought Mr. Ferrari a gift bag from the city.
TCSA congratulates Dr. Good and the Legacy team for their work with the Fulbright Commission and Principal Ferrari.
