Richard de Meij, Area Coordinator

  • Area coordinator for: Betances Learning Lab, Betances Stem Magnet, Burns Latino Studies Academy, Capital Prep. Magnet, Classical Magnet, Moylan (E.L.A.M.S.), Great Path Academy, Hartford Public High School, McDonough Middle School, Noah Webster Middle School, OPPortunity High School, Parkville Community School, Sports and Medical Sciences Academy (SMSA), University High, West Middle School
  • Hartford resident
  • 29 years teaching, 14 in HPS
  • Union School Committee
  • School Governance Council
  • 2018-2019 CT World Language Teacher of the Year
  • Activist: world language instruction & social justice

Richard de Meij has been a teacher for 28 years, of which 13 years have been proud years in the Hartford Public Schools. He is the consummate language educator, polyglot, linguist, speech pathologist, dancer, educational-technologist, and was recently named Connecticut’s Language Teacher of the Year! He is also a social justice advocate, for both students’ voices and teachers’ voices, and believes that “teachers perform works of heart every day,” and ought to be celebrated. In his classroom, Richard uses the unique combination of his multicultural/multilingual background, fervor, humor, his expertise in diverse areas, and his commitment to 21st Century Skills & World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages, to connect the world of languages & cultures to his students’ personal worlds and experiences. In his community, he endlessly advocates for equitable access to high-quality language education for all learners, fueled by his belief that “learning languages is everyone’s birthright!” He continuously challenges insidiously persistent false racial & ethnic narratives and presents counter-narratives grounded in truth and lived realities. Overall, Richard is a constant advocate for his community in which he strives to make sure that students are loved and inspired, teachers are appreciated and supported, and parents are befriended and empowered.