Graciela Gutierrez meanders the halls of Vernon Middle School in Harlingen, pointing out interesting facts about its history. Without missing a beat, she smiles and greets by name one of her 660 students as he exits a classroom.
A few minutes later, she says the bright yellow paint in the hallways above the lockers was her idea, because she didn’t want it to be plain white. Then, a few steps later, she looks at the avocado tree in the school’s courtyard and mentions the revitalization the area will soon see.
On the second floor of the school, she looks up and points out the skylights and talks about the old uses of certain parts of the campus.
This school hasn’t just been her home since 1995, when she came here as an assistant principal.
It’s in her blood. Her father attended the school when it was Harlingen High. Graciela, herself, attended as a teenager.
But, come fall, Vernon Middle School won’t be a part of her daily life anymore.
After 38 years in education, Graciela, the longtime principal, is retiring. It’s easy to see in her expression, either retirement hasn’t fully hit her, or she is at peace with the decision that took her a long time to make.
“I have been preparing myself all year so it won’t be a total shock,” Graciela says smiling while sitting at her desk.
The computer behind her is lined with neon-colored sticky notes. It’s her way of staying organized and on task.
“Honestly, it kind of hit me at the start of the year,” she continues about her retirement. “The school district does a fantastic kickoff and just realizing this would be my last time I would be seeing this wonderful start off, it will be bittersweet.”
That’s understandable. A significant portion of her life has been spent teaching and leading in the local schools. But, early on, teaching and education weren’t necessarily on her radar as a career.
“I can honestly say I never set out to be a teacher,” she says.
A biology major and chemistry minor, Graciela was focused on the medical field or potentially becoming a pharmacist. She loved math and science and those were her strengths. She describes herself as analytical. Obviously, it’s a skill that would have served her well in medicine, but it also has helped her in her education career.
After graduating from college and becoming a single parent, Graciela tried substitute teaching. It was the early 1980s.
“I got hooked,” she says. “That was just the route to take.”
For Graciela, her story starts well before that. And in some ways, her past led her on the path she eventually found.
A member of the Harlingen pioneer Gutierrez family, Graciela says her parents were key to her success.
“So our parents instilled in us that the best way to get out of a situation is through education,” she says. “So, of five siblings, four of us are college graduates.”
Education wasn’t the only characteristic Graciela learned from her parents – work ethic and never giving up were two others.
“My sister told me she was struggling with coursework and my father didn’t allow her to drop that course,” Graciela remembers. “Instead, he said they were going to take the same course together. That is really how deep the importance was of getting an education and completing what you start.”
Graciela has definitely finished what she started – 38 total years in education. After starting out as a teacher, mainly unplanned, her road to administration also happened by chance.
She was a science teacher at Gay Middle School, which has since become Memorial Middle School, and had taken on some leadership roles, including as a department head.
“That is where it all began,” she says about her administrative road. “I found I was organized. I was able to go back to school for my masters, able to raise kids and able to do it all.”
She had originally gone back to school because of her interest in being able to do more for gifted and talented students.
When an opening came up as a counselor, her principal at the time asked if she was interested, even though it would require taking more classes for certification. She did it and her career started to roll from there.
“Once you cross that transition to the dark side, then everything snowballs,” Graciela says jokingly about administration as she laughs. “That was the logical next step.”
In 1995, she became an assistant principal at Vernon Middle School before taking on the principal’s role several years later.
While education in the classroom and on the administrative side has changed greatly over the years, Graciela makes sure to keep her eyes on what’s important.
There are more tests and accountability. She admits teaching is more difficult than it ever has been. Graciela even cites math work students are now doing in middle school that in the past they hadn’t done until high school.
Kids also are different, she admits.
“You have to stay on your toes and always a step ahead,” she says.
Schools also have to compete with technology and entertainment.
“We have to be innovative and compete with the phone or video games,” Graciela says. “They have to be entertained and that is not like it used to be.”
But, no matter what has changed – the requirements, students and teachers – one thing is obvious, she’s passionate about the kids.
She walks the hallways and greets them as they pass between classes. She watches an activity in another class, a wide smile enjoying the interaction.
“It’s not about me,” she says simply while back in her office. “It’s not about the teachers. It’s about the kids. So, when we make decisions, we need to keep that in mind. We need to ensure we have their best interests in mind.”
Although she has 660 kids in her school, there are three always on her mind.
“One of the coolest things is having my three grandkids in the school at all three grades,” she says, beaming with pride. “After school, they come in and chat about the day or I sit in my office and see them out there.”
She admits, it is a perfect way to end her tenure.
That wasn’t all she was waiting for.
“I wanted to leave on a positive note,” she says. “It’s a challenging campus.”
Graciela provides specifics about the high percentages of low income families and children whose first language is not English.
“It has been a lot of work,” she admits. “We are at a place where staff knows what they are doing and they are on the same page.”
So, come fall, Graciela, the product of Harlingen public schools who went from substitute teacher to the first female middle school principal in the district, will not return to Vernon as its principal.
She admits, she’s excited not to have to go “back to school” shopping.
Also, her sister has some plans for her.
“We are going to take some vacation trips we haven’t been able to take,” she says. “I have a five-year-old grandchild and I want to spend more time there.”
But, Graciela also admits she won’t completely disappear from the only career she has ever known and one that she feels so passionately about here in Harlingen.
“I have told them I am going to sign up for public comments at board meetings,” she says with a grin, adding she might show up in shorts. “You will still hear my voice. I will definitely be involved. But, everything I sacrificed, it has come full circle, and it is time to enjoy it all now.”
Graciela Gutierrez knows what it takes to be a success.
The first female middle school principal in Harlingen knows what can be a major roadblock for many women – a lack of self confidence.
But, how do you find that confidence?
Graciela has an answer.
“You just keep doing it until you get it,” Graciela says. “You can’t give up. It’s that work ethic. Just move forward.”
Other suggestions include asking for help when needed and finding a mentor who can help guide you.
“Find someone you can look up to, who you know will help you,” she says. “It is important for women to do that. We need to help one another.”
Networking and reaching out is equally important. For those current teachers now who want to follow in Graciela’s footsteps into administration, she has some thoughts for them as well.
“If you want a leadership position, make sure you are volunteering,” she says. “Make sure your name is out there and people know you and think about you for the right reasons – that you are a go-getter. If that is something you aspire to be, make
Graciela is from a pioneer family in Harlingen. Her father is originally from Harlingen and she, too, has lived her life here.
But, that’s not all. Graciela’s older brother George was a civil engineer who was killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. He earned numerous military honors and his name is on Gutierrez Park and Gutierrez Middle School.
She is proud of her brother, who she called “a wonderful man” and “loving brother,” who was the only boy along with four girls.
Graciela admits she doesn’t feel pressure to live up the Gutierrez name.
“We take pride in being Gutierrez,” Graciela says. “Within our Gutierrez group, there are doctors, teachers and attorneys.”
In the past, family reunions held about every five years often brought more than 2,000 people.
In 2008, Graciela Gutierrez was named the Principal of the Year for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Region 1, which ranges from Laredo to Brownsville.
