Lockwood Elementary announces new principle for upcoming school year

CLOVIS (KSMX)- Lockwood Elementary School has announced Rodolfo Arceo as the new principal for the upcoming school year.

Mr. Arceo began his career with Clovis Municipal Schools in 2011 as a Spanish teacher at Clovis High School. During his career with Clovis Schools, Rodolfo has worked with bilingual families through the Bilingual Summer Institute, Migrant Mentor Program, and served as an English Language Learner (ELL) Case Manager.

Mr. Arceo was born in Mexico and came to the United States at the age of six. He started school as a second-grader in Portales, only speaking Spanish. He was enrolled in bilingual classes from 2nd through 5th grade and was then mainstreamed into English classes.

Rodolfo graduated from Portales High School in 2006 and attended Eastern New Mexico University in the fall.

Mr. Arceo said he was motivated to become an educator by his own experience. “Growing up I faced challenges in school due to the fact I only spoke Spanish, but I had one goal in mind and that was to learn English and obtain a college degree. With the support of family and great teachers, I was able to learn English, graduate from high school, and attend college. I understand the obstacles students face when only speaking Spanish and trying to learn a second language. My intent for all students is to be bilingual by the end of their elementary career,” he said.

Mr. Arceo received his Bachelor’s in Modern and Classical Languages from Eastern New Mexico University in 2011 and his Master’s in Education Administration in 2018 from Wayland Baptist University. His new position will begin May 11. This vacancy was created by the reassignment of Debbie Westbrook.