Veronica Maria Gallardo
Consultant/Coach
WCEPS
Veronica Maria Gallardo is a WCEPS Consultant/Coach and recently retired Assistant Superintendent for the Office of Public Instruction in Washington State.
Veronica’s former role as Assistant Superintendent encompassed federal and state oversight of Multilingual Education, Migrant Education, System and School Improvement, Foster Care, Homeless, and Institutional Education. As a K–12 educational leader, Veronica partners with communities, districts, and state educational leaders in Washington and the United States to design, expand, and maximize services and funding for students and historically underserved youth. Her lifelong commitment to education includes seven years as an elementary teacher, seventeen years as an elementary principal, leadership roles as Director of English Language Learners, Migrant Education, and International Schools, division director for K–12 Education for the City of Seattle, and State Director for Migrant and Bilingual Education. Veronica has a deep understanding of what resources, policies, and support are necessary for communities, districts, and state institutions. She seeks opportunities to infuse the values and benefits of language development and works across systems to implement needed changes that are often not prioritized for historically underserved students.
The commitment to advocacy and collaborative partnerships is evident in her committee work, including the OSPI Diversity and Equity Committee Co-Chair, WA State Governor WorkFirst Poverty Reduction Taskforce, Washington Supreme Court Commission on Children in Foster Care, Project Education Impact, Teacher Residency Workgroup, University of Washington Math/Engineering/Science/Achievement board member, and former roles as board President for OneAmerica, State Bilingual Education Advisory Board, and the ELL Road Map Group and Mercy Housing. In addition to her K–12 education experience, Veronica is a certified Urban Education Leader coach through Columbia University and a former ELL consultant for large urban school districts.
Born and raised in Central Washington, Veronica takes immense pride in her roots in the Yakima Valley, as well as in being the daughter of a migrant farm worker. Veronica lives in Seattle and has three grown children and two grandchildren. Veronica holds a Bachelor’s in American Ethnic Studies, a master’s in teaching from the University of Washington, a master’s in educational policy from Columbia Teachers College, and a Principal Credential from the University of Washington.
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