Amid a room filled with friendly faces and a homemade breakfast buffet, four bilingual teachers were warmly welcomed to Manatee County, having traveled nearly 4,500 miles from their homes in Spain. Their passion for teaching has brought them to Florida for the first time in their lives, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
The welcome event, held on Thursday at the district’s Professional Support Center, was a heartwarming affair. The center, which houses professionals working in curriculum, federal programs, and other departments, was abuzz with excitement. District leaders, including Dr. Laurie Breslin, Debra Estes, and Dual Language Specialist Loridia Urquiza, played pivotal roles in making this unique and rewarding opportunity possible. They followed a model successfully adopted by the Palm Beach County School District and partnered with The Spanish Ministry of Education to offer this program.
This cultural exchange program addresses shortfalls in a high-demand career field and creates a unique experience in dual-language classrooms, where students learn half the day in English and the other half in Spanish. The program is offered at Braden River Elementary, Daughtrey Elementary, Palmetto Elementary, and Prine Elementary Schools.
Meet the New Educators
Gonzalo – Mr. Villadangos (pictured above - left)
Home: Madrid, Spain
Education: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
2025-26 Teaching Assignment: First Grade Dual-Language Teacher at Palmetto Elementary
First impression of Manatee County: “Nobody on the streets, it’s empty – everybody goes by car, it’s so weird to me. It’s a really nice place; everybody is so polite.”
Looks forward to: Visiting Orlando – Disney!
Loves: Soccer – Real Madrid CF, the “best team in the world.”
Quote: “I’m really looking forward to meeting the kids, the parents; I’m happy to be here – hala Madrid” (translation: let’s go Madrid, an expression of encouragement.)
Mayte – Ms. Ruipérez (pictured above - right)
Home: Valencia, Spain (located on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula on the Mediterranean Sea)
Education: Universidad Católica de Valencia
2025-26 Teaching Assignment: Kindergarten Dual-Language Teacher at Palmetto Elementary
First impression of Manatee County: “The schools are so big with loads of green areas and really big buildings, and in Spain they’re not like that – they are smaller and older.”
Thoughts on the current weather: “It’s kind of the same, where I’m from it’s hot, humid, and on the sea – but I’ve been teaching in Dublin (Ireland) for the last two years, so I’m not used to the heat anymore. Here, I’ve been sweating all day (laughs).”
Loves: Beach and basketball (hopes to attend an NBA game)
Quote: “My goal is for my students to learn, have fun, and discover themselves; just to support them and make them grow.”
Martín – Mr. Rodríguez (pictured above-left)
Home: Málaga, Spain (which lies in Southern Iberia on the “Coast of the Sun” of the Mediterranean)
Education: University of Granada and University of Jaen
2025-26 Teaching Assignment: Second Grade Dual-Language Teacher at Prine Elementary
Favorite memory from elementary school: Spending time with friends and special teachers who I had special connections with.
Looks forward to: Exploring this new country and culture. “I want to enrich myself personally and professionally – that’s why we’re here.”
Quote: “I’m quite excited and nervous because we’ve done this many times in Spain, but here it’s different – it’s going to be more special. We are going to do great.”
Lucia – Ms. Nogales Oveja (pictured above - right)
Home: Madrid, Spain
Education: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
2025-26 Teaching Assignment: First Grade Dual-Language Teacher at Prine Elementary
First impression of Manatee County: “I’m so excited about visiting different places around Bradenton because this is so different to Spain – there’s so many cars.”
Looks forward to: Water sports, kayaking (but not seeing an alligator or a shark while doing those activities)
What’s most special about this opportunity: “I’m so excited about learning how to teach the dual language program and bring it back home to Madrid.”
Quote: “It’s so emotional to meet kids from the other side of the sea from where we’re from.”
A fifth teacher from Spain, Carla, is set to arrive in Manatee County later this week and will be teaching in the fourth-grade dual-language classroom at Daughtrey Elementary School.
We look forward to following the journey of these brave educators this year as they bring their passion and expertise to the classrooms of Manatee County, enriching the lives of their students and fostering a vibrant, bilingual learning environment.