Carlos Garcia, VP of National Urban Markets, McGraw-Hill Education

He’s come a long way from his early childhood roots in the Los Angeles barrio where gangs, drugs and violence were a tough thing for a lot of kids to say no to. However, at an early age, he knew by making the right choices, and working hard, a good education could one day open the doors to an un-limited number of opportunities.
 

During his lifetime, education has served Carlos Garcia, the former superintendent of the Clark County School District, and those around him very well. Garcia built his own version of the American dream, against the odds, by being a leader and getting things done through teamwork.

"To be honest with you, I’m just Carlos. I’ve worked as a teacher, a principal, an assistant superintendent and a superintendent. My mother always said, don’t ever ask anyone to do what you are not willing to do. If graffiti is around you, clean it up. Even as a principal, every morning in the Mission District I was painting over the graffiti. You take ownership. This is my school. Everybody in the organization is just as important as the person at the top. It is about helping everybody else in the organization to do the best they can. You must lift people up."

Beginning in 2000, Garcia served as superintendent of the Clark County School District, the nation’s fastest- growing school district, as well as the nation’s fifth largest school district, with over 300 schools and more than 280,000 students. Garcia was named the 2005 Nevada Superintendent of the Year by the Nevada Association of School Administrators. Garcia also served as superintendent for the Fresno Unified School District from 1997 to 2000 and the Sanger Unified School District from 1994 to 1997.

"I think Las Vegas is a really great place for a family. It is a wonderful community. There are some fabulous things going on here. We’re hiring over 2,000 new teachers a year. I’m pretty lucky. I get paid to do what I love to do. Success is really doing what you love to do. Things worth having are worth struggling for.

"Without a doubt, there is always room for improvement. We must look at the worst school in America and ask, would you want your child to go there? If the answer is no, what are we waiting for? You know how I evaluate a school? It is simple. Would I want my child to go there. It is not that complicated a question."

In mid-July 2005, Garcia accepted an offer he could not refuse with the McGraw-Hill Education team, where he now serves as vice president of National Urban Markets. Garcia’s main focus is on helping large school districts improve student performance through excellence in instruction, curriculum and assessment, as well as on providing effective instruction for non-English-speaking students.

"After 30 years in education, I finally wrote what I thought public education is all about and I put it on the back of my business card," states Garcia. "It reads: Our schools will not be good enough for any of our children unless we can make them good enough for all of our children."

From the days of the kid from the barrio to graduating from college, to working his way up the ranks as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent and business executive, education has proven key to the success and exciting journey of leader Carlos Garcia. May Garcia’s 30-plus years of education, wisdom and experience continue to help students across America to get the most out of their education and help them reach their full potential.

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