BIOGRAPHY

Debbie Paz earned her B.A. in Spanish and M.Ed. in Elementary Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. After working as a bilingual educator for nearly 30 years in both New York and Texas, she was named Houston Area Association for the Education of Young Children Teacher of the Year in 2009. Debbie joined School Literacy and Culture in 2011 as the Associate Director of Early Literacy and Bilingual Programs. Her areas of expertise include oral language development and second language acquisition in emergent bilinguals. Her responsibilities include curriculum development for the Rice OWL (Oral and Written Language) Lab model, as well as supporting a growing number of OWL replication labs around the city. Debbie is also involved in designing and implementing family engagement programs that build upon the families’ strengths and funds of knowledge, helping parents to value the many ways they impact their children’s success at school in their everyday lives. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and spending time with her husband, five grown children, and five grandchildren.