GSEP Professor Reyna G. García Ramos Elected Vice President of Statewide Teacher Education Organization
Reyna G. García Ramos, professor of education, director of the Teacher Preparation Program (TPP), and chair of the MAT and OMAT programs at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP), has been elected vice president of the California Council on Teacher Education (CCTE), serving on behalf of the organization’s board through 2028.
CCTE, the California state chapter affiliated with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), plays a key role in advancing educator preparation across the state. In her new role, García Ramos will serve as a liaison between state and national efforts, helping to elevate conversations around teacher preparation, policy, and program development.
García Ramos previously completed a three-year term on the CCTE Board and continues her national involvement with AACTE as co-chair of the Committee on Meetings and Professional Development for its Programmatic Advisory Committees.
“In no time like the present, we are seeing the field of teacher preparation being challenged locally and nationally,” said García Ramos. “Some of the challenges are due to federal changes and funding sources, which will impact the number of preservice teachers entering educator preparation programs in the coming years. Other challenges come from the field itself, such as declining TK–12 student enrollment, teacher attrition, and tightening budgets. Having a seat at the table around these issues is important for our Pepperdine University programs, and most importantly, for how we continue to prepare teacher candidates to meet the challenges they will face as new teachers.”
Through her leadership, García Ramos continues to advocate for preservice educators and strengthen the connection between academic preparation and the evolving needs of schools and communities. Her appointment reflects Pepperdine’s ongoing commitment to advancing the field of education and preparing future teachers to lead with purpose and impact.
In her new role, García Ramos will continue to serve the CCTE Board, while Dr. Terrelle Sales, associate professor of teacher education in the Humanities Division at Seaver College, assumes the organization’s presidency.
(Photo): Terrelle Sales and Reyna García-Ramos at the SPAN conference in March 2026, holding thier latest joint publication: Sales, T. B., & García Ramos, R. G. (2025). Protect, commit, and fund DEI & Ethnic Studies: California is depending on you. In A. L. Smith, E. R. Muñoz-Muñoz, & T. B. Sales (Eds.), The Change policy brief: Spring Policy Action Network Conference. California Council on Teacher Education.