Bilingual professor known as ‘La Madrina' celebrates five decades in education

Dr. Gladys Barbosa Labas was born in Puerto Rico in 1951.

“We lived a very simple life,” Labas said. 

She attended the University of Puerto Rico, where she studied English and Spanish and later became a teacher on the island.

“I was thinking of doing my masters in Puerto Rico. And then suddenly I’m walking, and I see this big sign that says, 'Looking for bilingual teachers for CT,' and I said, 'Let me check this out,'” Labas said.

Labas was among the first group of teachers recruited from Puerto Rico. She first taught in New Britain and then in Meriden Public Schools, where she spent the rest of her career.

“And then I got my certificate in administration. And I began to direct the bilingual program in the district and from there, I had a mentor again. Because you can’t do this yourself. You have people that recognize that you need to move on,” Labas said.

Through mentorship and hard work, Labas went on to become the assistant principal at Washington Middle School, where she met a seventh grade student by the name of Miguel Cardona.

“She was a force to be reckoned with and she still is. She always had high standards, high expectations, she was very warm and caring to students,” U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona said.

Cardona was the Connecticut commissioner of education until 2021 and now serves as the U.S. secretary of education.

“She is someone who paved the way for us, she opened doors so that folks like me could believe that they could be in a position of leadership,” Cardona said.

Cardona credits Labas as being Connecticut’s expert in bilingual education and is thankful he was under her scope of influence.

“We affectionately call her La Madrina, many of us who came up, especially Latinos that came up looking at her as a role model of someone that can persevere and do it, and do it well,” Cardona said.

“Oh, my goodness, it’s an honor,” Labas said. “A Madrina is someone in our culture, if you have to talk to someone, that’s who you go to and you know you could trust that person.”

A title and honor Labas embodies. Her five decades of experience and mentorship include becoming the first Latina administrator in an urban school district, co-authoring the bilingual laws in Connecticut, serving as the state’s director of equity and language in education, leading lectures on bilingual and special education at UConn and winning a Milken Educator Award.

“I am going to continue,” Labas said.

Labas is more inspired than ever to teach the next generation of educators. She is currently an associate professor at Southern Connecticut State University.

"I share all of my experiences with them,” Labas said.