Remembrance of Gene: Dr. Alberto Ochoa

Dr. Alberto Ochoa was a colleague, professional collaborator and friend of Gene’s. They’d worked together recently on a project to prepare teachers who would have expertise in both Special Education, and in meeting the needs of students and families from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. This project was similar in some very important ways to the work that first brought us to San Diego, seventeen years ago, and was Gene’s professional passion. Alberto visited Gene regularly at the hospital, helping him to stay in touch with his professional life, while still nurturing their personal relationship. He has been a tremendous support to us both. I’m so glad to have the opportunity to revisit his words.

Thank you for the opportunity to celebrate the life of our colleague Dr. Eugeñio Calderon Valles. I first met Gene upon his arrival at SDSU almost 17 years ago and had the privilege to interact with him almost on a weekly basis during the last three years of his life--- at a personal, professional, as co-director of a federally funded dual credential project in biliteracy and Special Ed/MM—named ALAS (Acquisition of Language & Academic Skills)/, as well as interacting with Gene in community advocacy activities involving Special Education in the San Diego Unified Schools District. Reflecting on my interactions with Gene in the last three years….I learned much from him –to listen, to be patient, and to strive to be caring.

At a personal level, I deeply appreciated our conversations as we met regularly at the Starbucks near Hwy 163 & Friars, often Karen Cadiero-Kaplan would join us, to coordinate our work. Before entering into matters of the ALAS Project we would share “una urgente taza de café”--an urgent cup of coffee-- and share events about our lives-past-present-future plans. In our conversations, he would often speak about his love for New Mexico and his ranch, about the adventures of his 97 year old father, about the work of his wife Gail, about social and educational concerns in our society at the macro and micro levels. It was a way for us to connect with our lives, our roots, and our work. In our deliberations, he would always emphasize the importance of honesty, fairness, and compassion in working to improve the social conditions of our communities and our democratic system of government.

At a professional level, we had long dialogues on pedagogical issues that could make a difference in addressing the existing achievement gap in our urban school communities. As we discussed ways to bridge the field of biliteracy and special education in the preparation of teachers—he always wanted to focus on the application of concepts by focusing on various types of learners and in the case of ethnolinguistic learners—the relevancy, efficiency, and effectiveness of instructional practices in our schools.

As a co-director of the ALAS project, I learned about his passion and his dream, namely, of bridging two departments, philosophically, a socio-constructivist pedagogy and behaviorist pedagogy, in the preparation of biliterate special education mild-moderate teachers. His passion and ideas became a reality with the funding of a 5 year project to prepare such educators in our local communities. With his departure, we are now seeking the help and support of Drs. Ann Graves, Karen Cadiero-Kaplan, and Regina Brandon to fulfill Gene’s dream of making this project part of our ongoing teacher preparation option in the College of Education.

As an activist, in his work with SDUSD, Gene approached issues of equity with thoughtfulness, reflection and humanity—always from a proactive approach and seeking to work with and through the educational system—always advocating for access, fairness, and educational practices that were not deficit based. His voice and advocacy will be missed!

Reflecting on this journey in the last 6 months, of importance to me, is that both Gene and his wife Gail have taught us much about being courageous in the midst of uncertainty and chaos. Upon hearing of Gene’s departure from us……I wrote to Gail and said: I received the news with extreme pain in my heart...yet, I will always remember Gene as a gentle, charismatic, thoughtful, giving and caring person and educator who mentored many. At a personal level, I sought to interact with Gene for his simplicity, personal manner in dealing with those around him, and as a scholar who was deeply committed to teach, to mentor and to develop teachers.

Gene cared much about his students, preparing detailed teaching lessons that guided students to discover their voice, ontological vocation, and the art of teaching children/youth with special needs. In the words of one of our ALAS graduates: “Dr. Valles taught us to empower our students whose voices are quiet and difficult to hear. It is our responsibility to make sure they are heard”. As previously stated, ALAS was a project created to actualize his dream of bridging the fields of biliteracy with special education while centering on ethnolinguistc students.Como guerrero, as a warrior, I know that Gene in his last few months of life was suffering and was searching to reconcile his personal spiritual freedom and overcoming physical pain. Yet, at this very moment, through Pablo Neruda’s poem (Pido Silencio/I Ask for Silence) …Gene speaks to us:

"Pido silencio ..... me voy a cerrar mis ojos .... he vivido con tanta intensidad que un dia tendran que olvidarse de mi. Pero ¿por qué pido silencio?....no pienses que yo voy a morir, por el contrario: sucede que voy a volver a vivir. Ocurre que nunca me sentí tan vivo, nunca he tenido tantos besos .... Ahora, como siempre es temprano. Y la luz del día principia con el vuelo de las abejas ... Les pido estar solo con el día ...... y pedir permiso para nacer"—I ask permission to be born .

"I ask for silence ..... I am going to close my eyes .... I have lived with such intensity that one day you will have to forget me. But why do I ask for silence, do not think that I am going to die, on the contrary: it happens that I will re-live. It happens that I never felt so alive, I never had so many kisses .... Now, as always it is early. The light of day appears with the fly of bees ... I ask to be alone with the day ...... and ask permission to be born.

In closing, in the power of the spiritual agreements found in the indigenous Toltec culture, I will continue hear Gene’s voice speaking to students and to each of us who were fortunate to know him: “to always do our best, “to not make assumptions as we interact with people different from us”, and to strive to be “impeccable with our word”…ser impecable con nuestra palabra.

Gail…with deep respect and affection, con respeto y cariño Alberto Ochoa