On January 1, 2018, Maria Larios-Horton — currently the director of multilingual and migrant education programs for Santa Maria Joint Union High School District — will begin as the director of English-learner and parent engagement at Santa Barbara Unified School District. English learners account for approximately 23 percent of the district’s student body, and Larios-Horton will work to implement related state and federal regulations, serve as liaison between schools and parents, educate district leadership and staff to promote parents and families as equal partners, and advise and train parents to understand the educational system in order to become better advocates for their children’s education. Larios-Horton was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, Greg, and their two children.
