My dad joined the Mexican Military in 1957 with hopes of a college education. Marrying my mom in 1958 and raising a family, he left the military to support his young and growing family. He joined the Bracero Program in 1960 and his dream of a better life and college education for his children began in the farm fields of Alamosa, Colorado.
After immigrating to the USA in 1979, our family began working as migrant farmworkers traveling to Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Florida. Migrant farmwork is among the most difficult and dangerous jobs out there, we learned crucial lessons in life but the most important lesson: education is the key. Our parents always pushed us to excel and pursue a college education.
After working in the fields from 1979 to 2008, my dad always promoted and supported education. Even though he did not get a college degree, 5 of us went on to college with degrees in Bachelors, Masters, and Doctors. Let me share this journey of inspiration, resilience and how the Migrant Education Program, Title 1, Title 3 and systems of support made it all possible.
Through hard work and sacrifices, my mom and dad built our first casita in Mexico in 1975. We lived here until 1979 when my family made the decision to seek a better life for all of us in the USA.
This was one year before we moved to the USA in 1978. We were 8 siblings and my older sister Sonia took this picture.
This was my dad picking stawberries in Dover, Florida at Harrel Farms in 1980.
My mom picking bell peppers in Waimauma, Florida in 1982.
My older brother and younger siblings helping my mom and dad pick oranges in 1980 in Bartow, Florida.
My family picking pickles in Lindsey, Ohio in 1982. .
This was me in 1987 picking pickles in Lindsey, Ohio. It was backbreaking work from July through mid-August during the hot summer months. We would work from 5-11 AM, take a break from the heat, then work from 4-8 PM when it was much cooler.
My mom and siblings waiting for the tractor so we could load pickles into 500 lb bins. This was in Lindsey, Ohio in 1987.
After picking pickles all morning long and bending over for over 4 hours non-stop, it was time to load the 500 lb bins. Each bucket weighed between 30-35 lbs. When it would rain, the mud would add an extra 5 lbs. After pickle season it was picking tomatoes from August to September.
My older brother and I picking strawberries after school in Plant City, Florida in 1984. We would do this from January through April after school and on weekends. After strawberry season, it was bell peppers, watermelons, cucumbers, tomato, eggplant and jalapeno season from May through June.
My older brother and I resting after a long day of picking apples with 50 lb bags. This was in Little Sandusky, Ohio near Upper Sandusky close to Columbus, Ohio in 1983. Even during the cold and freezing temperatures from September to November, apples were in season and you picked them or they drop and not worth much if they drop to the ground.
Me hoeing or thinning sugarbeets in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. This was in 1987 and I was about to become a senior in high school. My dad did the same when he was a Bracero in the early 60s but using the dreaded "cortito". After high school in May, I would take the Greyhound Bus through West Texas, Colorado and Wyoming and I would get picked up by my parents in Cheyenne,WY.
Miguel Castillo graduated from St. Edward's University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and earned a Master of Science in Education Administration from Texas A&M International University. His educational career spans 31 years and has experience at the teacher, principal, director and executive level. His experience and leadership with low performing campuses has led to the success of a middle school and his former elementary school, Antonio M. Bruni Elementary, among the top performing schools in the State of Texas with an “A" rating and earning all six distinctions in 2019. In 2019, the school was also named one of the best elementary schools in Texas and California by Educational Results Partnership and the only school in Laredo ISD to receive a national STEM distinction for the highest science and math academic scores in the district. His school improvement expertise has turned-around 4 low performing schools: one as an assistant principal, two as the principal and two as an executive director. All Title 1 schools.
Mr. Castillo and his former school, Bruni Elementary, have been featured in the front page of the New York Times (2014) and the national network Univision (2015) where a 2-minute clip showed the world how a Title 1 school successfully accommodated, embraced, taught, and supported students of immigrants and low socio-economic level through education. He believes that equitable education levels the playing field for all students and that strong systems of support are key to breaking down the barriers that hold our students back.
He is a two-time contributing author who has been featured in the book titled Principals in Action (2019) by Mark French, Jay Posick and Ryan Sheehy. In the book, Mr. Castillo shares his views of what it means to be a servant leader, culture builder, builder of relationships, growing and coaching teachers, and building other leaders. In the second book as a contributing author, Hispanic Stars Rising Vol. 4 by Claudia Romo Edelman (Sept 2023), he wrote a beautiful and inspiring essay on his father’s journey, the pain of poverty, and how the journey ends. Currently he is writing the book Finish the Journey which follows his father’s steps as a farmworker with the Bracero Program in the 60’s while pursuing higher education for his children, obstacles along the journey North, life as a migrant farmworker, and pursuing the American Dream for his family. The book will give great insight from the lens of a former immigrant, migrant farmworker and student, and how leadership and systems of support through migrant education, federal programs, and advocacy are vital to the success of migrant students.
He also contributes as a thought leader to podcaster and author of Kids Deserve It! Adam Welcome and his 69,000 followers on Twitter, Apple, and Spotify. He also shares some of the best ideas and practices for the most disadvantaged students like Emergent Bilingual, Economically Disadvantaged, Migrant, At-Risk, Special Education, Homeless and students of color through his social media on X and Linked In. He is also a partner and moderator with the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals where elementary principals get to discuss, share, problem-solve and celebrate through social media. His most recent podcast with Pablo Munoz, author of the book The Leader's Algorithm, focuses on his journey as immigrant and migrant student and how schools can better serve students.
Mr. Castillo presented to migrant families in Region 1 in Edinburg, Texas in 2016 and provided training and support for higher education through migrant programs. In 2022, Mr. Castillo was the keynote speaker at the Association for Migrant Educators of Texas Conference in San Marcos, Texas. Keynote speaker at Region 17 Annual Migrant Conference in Lubbock, Texas in 2023 and recognized by the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine as the Migrant Family of the Year in October 2023. He also presented at the Colorado Department of Education Migrant Symposium in Colorado Springs in November 2023 and shared his inspirational journey and best practices to improve outcomes for migrant students. He was the keynote speaker in Spanish at the Community Action of Central Texas-Bastrop Summer Graduation in June 2024. In October 2024, Mr. Castillo was the keynote speaker at Prince William County Schools, the second largest school district in Virginia, SEL Symposium. Mr. Castillo loves sharing his journey and passion for creating systems of support within schools that benefit all students, but mostly underprivileged students, and how those systems helped him succeed in life.
Mr. Castillo is the middle child of 10 and moved to the United States in 1980. He worked as a migrant farmworker from 1980 to 1995 traveling to Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan and Florida. His parents continued to work the fields until 2008. He was the first one in his family to graduate from college and five of his siblings went on to earn Bachelors, Masters and Doctor degrees. He was the former Executive Director of Elementary Schools in Austin ISD and is currently Director of Multilingual Education, Early Childhood, and Title III Federal Programs. He is married to Dr. Alma Gonzalez de Castillo, Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Central Texas, and they have three children: Nereid, Miguel Ariel, and Ernesto Clarence.
Let me motivate and inspire your students, staff, and parents by sharing my own personal journey. Each speech is tailored to the audience but it is much more impactful for migrant, English Language Learners and newcomer students, including parents.
Let me help you create a framework and a path to college for migrant students. Migrant students have opportunities for college under Title I, Part C and the College Assistance Migrant Program. By creating a framework, educating and promoting college access and awareness, migrant students applying for college will dramatically increase.
Family engagement and training is challenging especially for newcomer families and immigrants. Parent training and engagement are required under Title I and Title III. Let me assist you on a plan to increase family training and support and at the same time increase dramatically your parent participation and be in compliance with federal regulations under Title I and Title III.
As a former principal, director and executive director, let me coach your school leaders who are in transformational schools (turn-around schools) and provide guidance, coaching and a framework to long term success. As a principal and executive director, and with an excellent team of teachers, we turned around 4 Title 1 schools by creating systemic change and robust academic systems where ALL students grew and performed.