Alfonso De Torres Núñez, the new nonvoting teacher member of the Kentucky Board of Education, participates in several different education initiatives, including the Kentucky United We Learn Council. Photo by Joe Ragusa, Kentucky Department of Education, Nov. 11, 2023
(LOUISVILLE, KY) – Alfonso De Torres Núñez began his journey in Kentucky in 2009, after he immigrated from his home country of Spain to Christian County through Kentucky’s international teacher programs.
He said his experience during his four years with the district helped him learn so much.
“I became so much of a better teacher from my very first year when I started back in Spain,” De Torres Núñez said. “I will forever be grateful to a lot of people over there who had the patience and had the understanding and the love to help me grow to be who I am today.”
Over the course of his 16 years in the Commonwealth, De Torres Núñez’s career took him through Jessamine County, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and his current role as a Spanish teacher at Bloom Elementary School in Jefferson County. His newest role will be as the nonvoting teacher member of the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE), serving a term that will expire on June 30, 2026.
De Torres Núñez said he’s fortunate and grateful to have the opportunity to serve on the board. He said he plans to champion policies that prioritize student learning, teacher well-being and community engagement.
“I’m committed to advocating for equitable access to vibrant learning experiences for all students,” he said. “I also want to serve as a voice for those who have been historically underserved.”
De Torres Núñez said he looks forward to providing his perspective to the board, as well as the perspective of his wife, Karrie. She’s an early childhood education teacher in Jefferson County and he said he’s learned a lot from her, witnessing the “critical importance and workings of early childhood education.”
“These hands-on experiences have helped me to understand the multifaceted nature of kindergarten readiness and the crucial role that early interventions and engaging learning environments play in setting children up for success in school and beyond,” he said.
De Torres Núñez said he brings a unique perspective to the board, having worked across different parts of Kentucky and across different cultures.
De Torres Núñez originally came to the United States in 2006 as a Fulbright Scholar, working as a Spanish teacher assistant at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Penn. He said he previously taught English to Spanish speakers in Spain. In America, his role was reversed, teaching Spanish to English speakers.
“(The Fulbright Program) was such an eye-opening experience for me,” he said. “It really opened my mind to so many things and it made me so much of a better educator. Although the program was only for one year, I just wanted to come back and I just wanted to continue that path.”
De Torres Núñez went back to Spain following his time as a Fulbright Scholar and made the move to Kentucky in 2009. He said it was a bit of a shock not only to change countries, but also to move from Madrid – with a population of 3.2 million – to a community like Christian County, which has a population of about 71,000 according to the most recent U.S. Census estimate.
“I was OK with that because I wanted to get that opportunity,” he said. “Because I understood that growth cannot come without hard work, and sometimes that means that you have to start your hard work in places that you don’t expect.”
During his time in Christian County, De Torres Núñez worked closely with Melissa Adams, a district curriculum specialist who worked in Christian County for 32 years before retiring. She said the community benefited from having De Torres Núñez in the classroom, especially students who were learning English.
“He was great to step in and just be an agent of understanding and compassion to those families, but he was that to everybody,” she said. “It was nice to have him as a liaison to our families, because those families really wanted their kids to do well in school.”
De Torres Núñez said he learned a lot in Christian County Schools and became a much better teacher.
“I will forever be grateful to a lot of people over there who had the patience and had the understanding and the love to help me grow to be who I am today,”
After four years, De Torres Núñez moved on to a new role in Jessamine County. Less than two years later, he had an opportunity to become KDE’s state program area consultant for world languages – a position that allowed him to support the international teacher program he benefitted from when he originally came to Kentucky.
De Torres Núñez said he was encouraged to apply for the KDE world languages position by Jacque Van Houten, the then-outgoing state-level consultant who held the position for 15 years.
“I will always be grateful for the person who brought me here, Dr. Jacque Van Houten,” he said.
After four-and-a-half years at KDE, De Torres Núñez moved to Jefferson County to become a Spanish teacher at Bloom Elementary School.
Bloom Elementary Principal Jack Jacobs said students refer to De Torres Núñez as “Señor Bananas” because he brings fun to deeper learning in the classroom.
“Señor De Torres (Núñez) is an advocate for students, families and staff who are multilingual, as well as serving as an inspiration to others exploring language and culture,” he said.
Jacobs noted that De Torres Núñez also founded the school’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, which includes a communitywide multicultural event.
De Torres Núñez is currently involved in a variety of education groups, including the Kentucky World Language Association, the Kentucky United We Learn Council, GoTeachKY and Jefferson County’s Emerging Leaders program.
He also became a U.S. citizen in 2023.
“As a global citizen who comes from another country and was given a great opportunity to be here and work here for students, working in schools; to me, it’s an honor,” he said.
De Torres Núñez was selected from a pool of applicants and recommended by a special committee of the Teachers Advisory Council for the 2025-2026 KBE nonvoting teacher position. He began his tenure as the fifth nonvoting KBE teacher member on July 1, following Lawrence McCrobie of Jefferson County, Alissa Riley of Christian County, Joanna Stevens of Garrard County and Allison Slone of Rowan County; each served a one-year term.
