Mario A. Nuñez loves Madrid… and when in Madrid, he does what the Madrileños do…eat tapas “con locura”! Somehow he also finds time to go to the museums and cultural sites…that is, if he survives “la noche madrileña”(nothing that a cup of chocolate and some churros at Chocolatería San Ginés can’t cure…)A Cuban by birth and at heart, but adopted by Puerto Rico (and thus granted the coveted “mancha de plátano”), Mario loves his “ropa vieja” and “guaguancó” as much as his “pasteles” and “salsa”.
Mario currently serves as the Director of Professional Development (PD) for Santillana USA, Inc. in Miami, Florida. Mario’s responsibilities include the implementation of professional development courses for teachers, administrators and parents. He has developed PD courses focused on the areas of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), heritage languages, Spanish as a second language, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Title III requirements for school districts and schools that serve LEP, and limited English proficient/English language learners (LEP/ELL) parental and school involvement.
From 1995 to 2000 Mario served as the Florida Department of Education’s ESOL and Foreign Language State Supervisor. During his tenure, he represented the state of Florida in statewide and out-of-state activities related to the programs and services for LEP/ELL and for foreign language students, and their teachers. Mario was the editor of the Florida Foreign Language Sunshine State Standards (1995), as well as the Language Arts Through ESOL Guide (1998). Previously, he was a Program Specialist for the Bilingual Skills Department of Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Miami, Florida, and an ESL and Spanish teacher.
Mario also worked both as a Kindergarten and as a Middle School (6-8grade) Spanish teacher in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (Miami, Florida). He taught various courses, including Spanish as a foreign language, Spanish content area and Spanish for Spanish speakers language arts.
Mario holds a Masters in Modern Language Education from Florida International University, and a Bachelors in Mass Communication from New York University. He has been a Fulbright Scholar (1993) and a recipient of the Embassy of Spain’s Teacher Grant to study abroad (1990).
