Elected: November 2022
District 3
Jose Sanchez's family has been living in Monterey Park since the 1970s, and Jose, along with his wife Natalie, also a teacher, decided to raise their three daughters, Mia, Dolly, and Bella, in Monterey Park. Jose is the son of Mexican immigrants who migrated to the United States for better jobs and educational opportunities.
For the past eighteen years, Jose has served as a civics teacher in Alhambra, serving over 4,000 students and their families in the Alhambra and Monterey Park areas. Jose has been recognized for his work as a civics educator by local elected officials such as Congresswoman Judy Chu, who named Jose "Educator of the Year" in 2018, and by former Assemblymember Ed Chau as a community member "Making a Difference" in 2019. Jose was also recognized by the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Supreme Court as a "Champion of Civics" in 2021, and the California Council for Social Studies named Jose "Civics Educator of the Year" in 2022.
Jose also volunteers his time with local organizations serving on the boards of the Alhambra Historical Society and the Alhambra Latino Association and as a teacher advisor to the Los Angeles County Museums. Jose has an extensive educational background, and his areas of expertise include civics education, ethnic studies, and teacher preparation.
Jose received his Bachelor's degree from Occidental College in Diplomacy & World Affairs and Spanish/French Literary and Cultural Studies and his Master's degree from Claremont Graduate University in Education.