Charlene Fried wins IAOTP's Elite Professional Award in Education

By AI, Created 9:52 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – IAOTP will honor Sierra Vista High School faculty member Charlene Fried at its annual gala in New York City in December. The award spotlights her long teaching career, bilingual education work and years of recognition across California and beyond.

Why it matters: - IAOTP said the Elite Professional Award in Education recognizes exceptional dedication, innovation and leadership in education. - The honor spotlights Charlene Fried’s long career in bilingual and cross-cultural teaching at Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park, California. - Fried’s recognition also highlights work that has shaped teacher training, student support and community literacy efforts.

What happened: - IAOTP selected Charlene Fried, a faculty member at Sierra Vista High School, for its Elite Professional Award in Education. - IAOTP will honor Fried at its Annual Awards Gala in December at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. - The gala announcement includes a link to the event page: award gala information. - Fried also has a public video feature available here: watch her video.

The details: - Fried has spent her career teaching at Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park. - Her expertise includes social-emotional development, English, English as a Second Language and bilingual education. - Fried was the first bilingual teacher at Sierra Vista High School. - At California State University, Los Angeles, Fried serves as Lecturer B in the Charter College of Education. - Her CSULA courses cover English Language Development techniques, academic language, classroom management and teacher certification topics. - Fried also supervises student teachers at CSULA. - At Loyola Marymount University, Fried is a part-time lecturer. - Her Loyola Marymount courses include English Language Development, Spanish methodology, social science and history methodology, literacy, assessment and strategies for teaching diverse student populations. - Fried earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Public Speaking from San Francisco State University in 1968. - She earned a Master of Science in Bilingual Cross-Cultural Education from Pepperdine University in 1984. - Fried also earned Spanish accreditation from the University of Salamanca and the University of Valencia in Spain. - She holds qualifications as a Bilingual Cross-Cultural Specialist in Bilingual Education in Spanish from Pepperdine University. - Fried has presented workshops for the California Association for Bilingual Education, the National Association for Bilingual Education and other organizations. - She has taken part in educational research and school visits in Spain and Mexico. - Fried and her husband drove from Los Angeles to Brazil, shipping their car from Costa Rica to Venezuela, to learn more about the home countries of many of her students. - Fried has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Israel and Morocco. - Fried is studying the Mayan language. - Fried and her son, Jose Luis Perez, volunteer in Quintana Roo, Mexico, to support Spanish and English literacy among Mayan-speaking children. - Perez is a Spanish teacher and soccer coach who has taken student groups around the world since 2007.

Between the lines: - Fried’s selection reflects IAOTP’s focus on professionals it describes as distinguished and accomplished across fields. - Her career story centers on bilingual education, cultural fluency and direct support for students and families. - The recognition also extends a long pattern of public honors tied to Fried’s teaching and mentoring. - Fried has said her work is driven by community, kindness and respect for linguistic, cultural and racial diversity.

What’s next: - Fried will receive the award on stage at IAOTP’s December gala in New York City. - IAOTP says the honor will be part of its annual awards program. - Fried said she hopes to keep inspiring aspiring teachers and the next generation of students.

The bottom line: - IAOTP is putting national attention on a veteran bilingual educator whose career has stretched from one high school classroom to university teaching, international outreach and decades of student mentoring.