Tiffany J. Cochran is not only a thoughtful and passionate educator. She is also a strong advocate for both students, educators, and her community.
Tiffany’s call to public service comes from her parents. Her mother is a retired educator. Her father is a retired State of Arkansas Department of Finance employee. From an early age, Tiffany developed her own interest in public service and began moving into her calling. To help improve conditions within her local community and schools, she has worked alongside elected officials, community think – tanks, and non – profit organizations across the United States. The 1992 Los Angeles riots left a lasting impression on her. Not just the carnage that the riots left behind, but more importantly, the underlying causes of the riots. More specifically, she realized the importance of reinvesting within your own community. Many people living in disadvantaged communities don’t understand the importance of saving, investing, and establishing credit. It starts with the youth. She began to advocate vigorously for youth financial literacy.
Her personal mantra is: “With education, darkness turns to light, which leads to a path of hope and empowerment throughout the globe.”
Tiffany’s story began in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was educated within both the Little Rock and Los Angeles public school systems. She would go on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education, along with a clear multi – subjects credential. She has also earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Additionally, she has also earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles.
Her teaching career has included serving as a substitute teacher at K – 12 schools throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District. She has also served as an adult school educator (helping adult students to earn their GED equivalency). Her commitment and dedication to teaching allowed her to rise to the ranks of Credentialed Classroom Teacher for a Title 1 School (instructing 1st grade students). To help students excel in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), she provides instruction for Project Lead the Way. Project Lead the Way is designed to help students address concerns as it pertains to the STEM curriculum. She has a diverse teaching background. She has taught courses in business, computer science, and computer applications. She has also developed curriculums for business courses within the Los Angeles Community College system.
Again, Tiffany is more than just an educator. She is striving to make a difference for students, educators, and her community. To that end, she serves on school district union committees. She also serves as an after – school tutor. Tiffany is a member of Kappa Delta Pi – International Honor Society in Education. She is the 2018 – 2019 Hawthorne Educators and Teachers Association Membership Engagement Committee Chairperson. Also, she is an active participant within the California Teacher’s Association Ethnic Minority Early Identification Development Program for 2018 – 2019. Furthermore, Tiffany is a 2018 – 2019 Delegate to the National Education Association Representative Assembly. Beyond her academic endeavors, Tiffany strives to make her community a better place by giving her time to various volunteering efforts.
When she is not making an impact within the classroom or the community, Tiffany enjoys reading, travelling, spending time with friends and family, watching NASCAR races, watching movies, watching and playing tennis, and going to Disneyland.