About Efraín Tovar

Efraín (eh-frah-EEN) Tovar is a Texas native raised in Kingsburg, California, and a passionate advocate for plurilingual and pluricultural learners. He serves as the English Language Development (ELD) Department Chair in Selma Unified School District, where he teaches 7th–8th grade Newcomers and Long-Term English Learners (LTELs). With more than 25 years of experience spanning elementary through university settings, Tovar is widely recognized for leveraging technology to advance linguistic equity, literacy development, and student empowerment. He is the founder of the California Newcomer Network, connecting and supporting educators working with newcomer and multilingual students across California and beyond.

Tovar is a highly sought-after speaker at local, state, national, and international conferences, where he shares practical strategies for addressing the linguistic and digital needs of multilingual learners and their families. He is a Google for Education Certified Innovator and Trainer and was selected as one of two U.S. educators to participate in the prestigious Google for Education Certified Innovator Program in Mexico City. He was also chosen among thirty educators worldwide to participate in Stanford University’s d.School summer institute for design thinking, where he strengthened his work in human-centered design and innovative problem-solving in education.

In addition, Tovar serves as a MetaMetrics Lexile & Quantile Educator Ambassador, supporting the effective use of literacy and measurement frameworks to improve learner outcomes. His classroom and instructional practices have been featured by Edutopia, and PBS highlighted his innovative work with Newcomers on PBS KVIE’s Inside California Education, recognizing his contributions to the field.

Beyond the classroom, Tovar has been selected to serve on multiple California statewide initiatives. In 2022, he was appointed to California’s SB 488 Literacy Workgroup for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, supporting statewide efforts to strengthen literacy and educator preparation. In 2023, he was selected for the California Department of Education Superintendent’s first-ever Parent Advisory Council, elevating family voice and engagement in state-level educational priorities. More recently, in 2025, he was chosen to serve on the SB 1288 Statewide Artificial Intelligence Workgroup, a cross-sector collaborative focused on the responsible, ethical, and equitable use of AI in education.

Tovar’s contributions have earned him recognition as a three-time Teacher of the Year, honored by Selma Unified School District, the Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE), and CALIE — the California Association for Leading Innovation in Education (formerly known as CUE). These distinctions reflect his sustained commitment to innovation, equity, and excellence in teaching and learning. In 2021, he was selected to participate in the Californians Together English Learner Leadership & Legacy Initiative (ELLLI), a competitive statewide leadership institute preparing educators to advance advocacy and policy for English learners.

Through his teaching, leadership, and statewide service, Tovar continues to advocate for educational systems that are inclusive, forward-thinking, and responsive to the needs of multilingual learners, educators, and families.