Leslie Margarida

Leslie has been an MCPS educator for 30 years teaching students from dozens of different countries and backgrounds. She is certified to teach K-12 English Language Development and Secondary English and Spanish. Currently she teaches emerging multilingual learners at Tilden Middle School, but has also taught in elementary and high schools over the years. Her driving passion is watching students grow from hesitant language learners to confident communicators both in writing and in speech.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Leslie understands first-hand the benefits of a bilingual education. She received her BA in English from Mount Holyoke College, Graduate Teaching Certificate from The College of Notre Dame, and TESOL Certificate from UMBC. Leslie’s strongest preparation for coaching students, however, comes from her wide experience in the classroom and from raising her own three children, two with learning challenges, now all successful adults.

When not working, Leslie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, walking, kayaking, and exploring the outdoors. She also dedicates much of her spare time developing media content for her company, Pico Productions, LLC. Her mission with this endeavor is to inspire young people to make a difference in the world.