Estella Almanza is a researcher, educator, and specialist in bilingual, multicultural, and special education. She currently serves as a Research Associate and E3 Project Director at the BUENO Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Almanza is a first‑generation college student whose lived experiences shaped her commitment to equity in education. She moved to Colorado in 1989 to work as a special education teacher while pursuing advanced studies. Her connection to the BUENO Center began in 1990 as a Title VII Fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Ofelia Miramontes and Dr. Leonard Baca.
Almanza’s expertise bridges special education, bilingualism, and biliteracy, enabling her to bring deep insight into student evaluation, assessment practices, and equity‑centered decision‑making. She has extensive experience in public schools across elementary, middle, high school, and university settings, and has contributed to major research initiatives through grant writing, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
