Ep34 Rene Romero, Statewide Teacher of The Year, former English Learner: Leadership Development Podcast
Podcast: LEADERSHIP MESSENGERS™ with Ovi VasquezPublished On: Fri Feb 20 2026
Description: What questions do you want asked at in the show?HOST: This leadership development podcast is brought to you by: Ovi Vasquez, Inspirational Leadership Keynote Speaker. Fatherless farm boy from rural Guatemala—Inspiring teams to peak performance. He challenges teams to embrace change and step into bold leadership through leadership culture. He grew up in a village without electricity, learned English in two years, graduated from high school in three years, earned a B.A. in management, in two years. Ovi has worked for Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Uber. He is a TEDx speaker, author, and social entrepreneur. GUEST BIO: Meet Rene Romero, the 2026 California Teacher of the Year at South Hills High School in the Covina Valley Unified School District. A former English learner from East Los Angeles, Rene now teaches International Baccalaureate Language and Literature and holds a master’s degree in Cultural Studies. With 22 years in education, he leads with a powerful blend of love ethic, intellectual rigor, and social awareness to develop confident, courageous young adults. Find our guest at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rene-romero-57880b393 Find our host at: https://www.ovinspires.com Leadership Development Keywords: educational leadership, love ethic, productive rage, IB education, talent development, psychological safety, bilingual leadership, mentorship, reflective leadership, values-driven leadership Leadership Development Summary: In this episode, René Romero shares how growing up in East LA, surrounded by gang culture but supported by hardworking parents and his grandmother, shaped his leadership. From being placed in the back of the classroom as a Spanish-speaking student to becoming California Teacher of the Year, René explains why leadership means helping students cross life thresholds with courage. He emphasizes love as a leadership ethic, productive outrage against inequity, and creating reflective classroom cultures that build future leaders.10 Takeaways on Leadership Development ✅ Leadership is helping others cross thresholds ✅ Love ethic builds authentic influence ✅ Productive rage challenges unjust systems ✅ Admit when you don’t know ✅ Reflection prevents burnout ✅ Pause before reacting ✅ Give students voice ✅ Recognize quiet impact ✅ Every person has a story ✅ The future generation is capable 5 Titles for Leadership Development ✅ From English Learner to California Teacher of the Year ✅ Leading With Love and Productive Rage ✅ Helping Students Cross Life’s Thresholds ✅ Treat People Like Stories ✅ Don’t Sell the Next Generation Short 5 Sound Bites for Leadership Development 🗣 “Leadership is giving students the courage to cross thresholds.” 🗣 “You can’t fake love. Students see through it.” 🗣 “Treat people like stories.” 🗣 “We don’t have all the answers.” 🗣 “The future looks good.” 10 Chapters on Leadership Development 00:00 – Meet Rene Romero 03:37 – Defining Leadership 05:12 – Family and East LA Roots 06:50 – From Spanish Learner to IB Teacher 08:59 – Teachers Who Shaped Him 11:58 – Love Ethic and Productive Rage 14:27 – Developing Future Leaders 15:58 – Preventing Burnout Through Reflection 22:19 – Books That Shaped His Leadership 30:56 – Message to the Next Generation#OVinspires#LeadershipMessengers#leadership#community Leadership Culture podcastExecutive leadership podcastEducational leadership podcastOrganizational leadership podcastProfessional Development podcastChange Management podcastCorporate leadership podcastScho
The note was deleted
The note was saved
Your message was sent