4 minute read
OCEANSIDE’S FINEST • Lita Esposito
Oceanside's Finest
LITA ESPOSITO
Advertisement
WORDS: ALONDRA FIGUEROA PHOTO: ZACH CORDNER
Think of an amazing teacher that has touched your life, inspired your soul, challenged your mind, and genuinely took the time to light that spark of learning for you. For many students in Oceanside that have attended Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in the last 28 years, that name is Mrs. Juliette Esposito. Known to her fellow teachers and friends as “Lita,” she’s the last faculty member of the proud list of teachers that opened King Middle School back in 1994. In 1988 when finishing her teaching credential at SDSU, Lita applied for her first teaching position at Oceanside Unified School District and was offered a 50-percent PE position, but she politely declined, as she wanted full time employment. Within the hour, OUSD made a great decision and called her back offering her a full time position as an adaptive PE teacher working with special needs students at several different sites. Six years in, Lita heard about a brand new school opening in Oceanside, so she met with King’s opening principal, Raye Clendening, who told her the PE positions were filled, but as she minored in Biology, she could also teach life science! Lita was surprised and a little scared, but leapt at the chance to join this new school on a new path. She also shared that she’ll forever be grateful to Clendening for seeing her potential, and pushing her to jump into the science world. Lita has always remained at MLK, and not only teaches seventh grade life science, but has run the Green Team—King’s environmental awareness, and recycling club for many years. That’s not all, folks. She also coaches the crosscountry team in the fall, and track & field in the spring! She’s a powerhouse, and a strong voice for students on campus.
As someone who has worked with her for years, I can honestly say that she’s been more than just a colleague. Lita has been a mentor, confidante, and constant source of inspiration to me as an educator. She says she’s loved every minute of it, and that she’s lucky to have loved her career so much. Lita has come full circle, and now has taught many of her former students’ children.
When asked about some final words of wisdom she wanted to share with other teachers she had this to say: “Try to make a connection with students outside of the classroom. I’ve made my deepest connections with students through track & field and cross-country. It allows you to see the student in a completely different light. You may even see a student that’s quite challenging in the classroom, but as a coach,
you can see a different kind of personal growth.”
Another way she connects with her students is by sharing her Chamorro heritage, and that it was her Guamanian mother who showed her how to be brave in a man’s world. Lita’s family lived on the island for several years, and she finds that it gives her a special connection to her Panasian and Pacific Islander students.
When asked about accomplishments she is most proud of during her years at OUSD, Lita shared that she’s very pleased with her advocacy for LGBTQ students at all levels. At King, she’s been a staunch supporter of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), and her advocacy for students doesn’t stop there—she pushed hard for progressive curriculum for health, and human development. Lita was involved in a committee that focused on curriculum, so that OUSD would be California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) compliant with the laws that recognized the needs of these students were not being met. LGBTQ students often have very few open peers and adults to use as resources and mentors. Lita has wholeheartedly joined that effort, and is a constant support for those students at King.
It’s important to note that when adopting this new curriculum, OUSD and Lita personally were faced with many obstacles. She remembered being shocked when she saw the protests at school board meetings. Community members were flashing anti-gay signs and screaming hate speech, and still Lita had the courage to get up in front of packed houses with rough, hostile crowds to speak to the science behind the curriculum, and why it was so badly needed. Lita also contacted the ACLU and North County LGBTQ Resource Center for support, and there were times she had to be escorted to her car as people who disagreed with this type of additional curriculum verbally attacked her. Lita admits it was overwhelming, but she took it like a champ. She’s a firm believer that science is provisional—meaning that we go with the best information that’s available at the time, and we should remain open to new information as it emerges. This is Lita’s last year at King middle, and it’s hard to think of our campus without her infectious enthusiasm and energy—it definitely feels like the end of an era. Guaranteed she’ll be sorely missed. While education and coaching have been her life, Lita’s looking forward to her next chapter: Retirement and enjoying her well deserved free time gardening, working out, and traveling with her husband Joe. Continuing in her dedication and service to Oceanside’s youth, she promises to come back to King and continue to volunteer her time coaching cross-country and track & field for the near future. Lita’s tireless dedication to our community is why we salute her as one of Oceanside’s finest.
