Norma Hernández facts for kids

Norma Eugenia González Hernández, born on May 19, 1934, is an American educator who taught mathematics. She is well-known for her important work studying how Mexican-American students succeed in school. She also looked at what helps or hinders their learning. Later in her career, she became the dean of education at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Early Life and Education

Norma Hernández was born in El Paso, Texas, on May 19, 1934. Her mother, Ramona González, was a writer and grocer who was also born and educated in El Paso. Norma's father was a sales clerk who came to the US from Zacatecas, Mexico. Both of her parents finished high school, which was a good education for Mexican Americans at that time.

An aunt lived with them in El Paso and worked as a schoolteacher and principal in nearby Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Norma had three brothers and sisters. All of them grew up to have professional careers.

As a child, Norma showed a natural talent for math. She often helped her mother by making change at the family grocery store. During that time, many public schools separated Mexican-American students into schools that were not as good. However, Norma was lucky and was able to attend schools where all students learned together. She earned many honors for her schoolwork. Even so, she was not chosen as the top student (valedictorian) in her class. A white male student, whose overall grades were not as high, was chosen instead.

Norma went on to study at Texas Western College. This college later became the University of Texas at El Paso. She chose to major in mathematics. She was the only female student in her advanced math classes. In 1954, she graduated. She might have been one of the first American-born Latinas to earn a math degree from a college in the United States. In the same year, she married Rodolfo Hernández, a health scientist. They had four daughters together.

Teaching and Advanced Studies

In 1955, Norma Hernández started her career as an elementary school teacher in El Paso. In 1957, she moved to Austin, Texas, and continued teaching there for three years. While in Austin, she earned a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1960. Her master's paper was about logic and mathematical systems. After this, she returned to El Paso. She worked there as a supervisor for secondary mathematics until 1967.

Her next step was to go back to the University of Texas at Austin for more schooling. She became a doctoral student, studying how to teach mathematics. She finished her Ph.D. in 1970. She may have been the first Mexican-American woman to earn this type of degree. Her doctoral paper looked at how teachers talk about math in lessons.

Academic Career and Retirement

In 1969, Norma Hernández became an assistant professor of education at the University of Texas at El Paso. In 1974, the university made her the dean of education. She was the first Hispanic graduate of the university to reach such a high position. Under her leadership, the university's education program received special approval in 1976. This approval came from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. She retired in 2000 and became a professor emerita, which means she kept her title after retirement.