• El Monte Union High School District,  Maria-Elena Talamantes

    Maria-Elena Talamantes Assumes Office on the El Monte Union High School Board of Trustees

    Maria-Elena Talamantes taking the oath of office from El Monte Union High School Governing Board Member Salvador Ramirez

    Yes, Maria-Elena is a friend of mine, and a fellow Los Angeles Roadrunner (training program for the Los Angeles Marathon). She was appointed to the El Monte Union High School Governing Board of Trustees a couple of weeks ago, replacing a Trustee who resigned under a cloud of corruption.

    Here is an earlier piece.

    After a public interview and selection process, the El Monte Union High School District Board of Trustees selected educator Maria-Elena Talamantes to replace former board member John Tran, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal bribery charges.

    The board had operated one member short for more than a month following Tran’s resignation in early February.

    “She’s fresh, she’s an educator and well-educated,” Board member Salvador Ramirez said in his motion to nominate Talamantes. “She seems to have a very good demeanor and be very positive.”

    Talamantes is a special education teacher at Baldwin Park Unified School District’s Margaret Heath Elementary School.

    “I really believe in public education. As an educator myself, I’m very passionate about the education that our children receive,” the 38-year-old said. “I was very excited to be able to apply for this vacancy and to have the opportunity to contribute to the youth within my own community.”

    Before becoming a teacher four years ago, Talamantes spent nine years reviewing contracts and payroll documents as an auditor in the Teamsters Union, she said.

    The 14-year El Monte resident was selected out of a pool of nine candidates.

    Maria-Elena will make a good Trustee.

    My only regret in this whole affair is that she may not make many of those long 10-12 mile runs this spring/summer.

    But, we will see!

    Here is the video of Maria-Elena taking the oath of office: