Wanda Gonzalez Crespo

“I want every teacher in the Reading School District to understand that our kids don’t need us to feel sorry for them.  they don’t need us to lower the bar.  I want them to raise the bar and to challenge kids to do hard, rigorous work because they can do it.  because they can excel.  That has been my challenge:  to get everyone to see the way I see.” 
--Wanda Gonzalez crespo

Regarding inspiring women of color, Wanda Gonzalez Crespo should be at the top of everyone’s list. Every. Single. Time. Born in Reading and raised in Oakbrook, PA, she has served her community since day one. Her Red Knight blood runs deep, starting with her parents and brother, and continuing with her two daughters who all attended the Castle on the Hill. Wanda always had big dreams while attending RHS, but teaching was always paramount. “When I was a child, I spent many hours alone in my room playing teacher. I always saw myself in a classroom. I think it’s because I always really liked school. So, when I graduated from RHS, I chose to pursue a career in teaching.” 

Successful people like Wanda don’t just suddenly become successful; they have others who guide them along the way. That person for Wanda was Ms. Ely, her senior English teacher. “She introduced me to some amazing literature that year. I learned to appreciate various authors from Shakespeare to Chaucer to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. She also did a lot to help me improve my writing.”

After graduating from Reading High in 1994, she continued her education at Albright College. She always knew she wanted to pursue something related to teaching at Albright. But because Education couldn’t be her only major at Albright, she also majored in Spanish. Since she was pursuing two majors at once, Spanish and Education, she had to take classes through both the winter and summer breaks to earn all her credits and to graduate on time. “It was a lot of work, but I got it done! And it was a lot of fun!”

At the time, Albright was a culture shock for her. “Even though I was in the city, I felt like I was the only Puerto Rican for miles.” This is all during the 90’s, keep in mind, where schools had to accept and maintain a certain number of students of color every year. “I kinda got the impression that some of the white kids on campus felt like I was only there because they needed to fill a quota.” Even through the stigmas, though, she never failed to prove that she deserved to be there. “They didn’t know I was an honors student and in AP classes. I felt like I had to work hard to prove to people that I was just as smart as everybody else, maybe even smarter!” 

After graduating from Albright in 1998, Wanda started her career in education at 10th and Green Elementary. For six years she taught second grade in the old bilingual program. She has always felt a connection to that school. “I was there as an intern in high school, I student-taught there in college, and then I got hired there as a teacher. That school has always been close to me.” She continued her education in Puerto Rico, earning a Master's in Education with a specialization in Teaching English as a Second Language in 2003 from the University of Turabo. Back in the States, she earned her Principal Certification from Alvernia University in 2007, and later she received a Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility from the California University of Pennsylvania in 2016. 

She loved teaching, she loved the kids, she loved the environment, and she always tried her best to keep her students engaged. “Listen, when it was time to write a paragraph, while other teachers were having the kids write a boring paragraph, I would bring in bread, cheese, and a sandwich maker and they would learn how to make a grilled cheese sandwich and write about it. I tried to 

make it fun. I didn't want to do what everyone else was doing.” She always prided herself on being a good teacher, so good that she later became an Instructional Coach for 10th and Green. “The principal really liked the way I worked with kids. She liked my instructional strategies, and she liked that I was able to get kids to learn how to speak English and read fairly well.”

Wanda now feels like her life is exactly where she wants it to be. “I feel like my home life has worked out exactly how I wanted. I am thrilled and so proud of my little family. My career, however, has far exceeded my expectations.” Even though she never thought being Assistant Superintendent for the Reading School District was in the cards for her, the longer she worked in the Reading School District, the more she strived to be an advocate for the kids of RSD. “I enjoy working with my colleagues in developing new academic programs in the district to address the various needs of our students district-wide. As a parent of Red Knights who has been active in our music programs, I have tried to support the performing arts programs by attending district and county music events, participating in fundraisers, offering administrative support, etc. I am very proud of the many talented Red Knights who overcome their fears to stand in front of large audiences and perform.” 

From student to administrator, it is safe to say that Wanda has seen many sides of our district. Nonetheless, she has stayed for the ride. Wanda Gonzalez Crespo has given our district innovation, teamwork, community, and new ideas every day. The Castle on the Hill is forever grateful to her for always striving to push our Red Knights toward greatness.