Her career in education ended after a conviction in federal court for embezzling money from DISD.
She initially became a secondary level teacher in the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD).
[2] A lawyer named Michael Gross stated that the Santa Fe Public Schools community saw her tenure there negatively.
Eduardo Paz of D Magazine stated that Hispanic and Latino DISD residents, who wanted more political representation in the district, praised her appointment to the position.
[7] She was 5 feet (1.5 m) tall and was, as described by Scott Parks of The Dallas Morning News, a "bundle of energy", so she had the nickname "Tiny Tornado".
[7] She improperly used money from DISD to acquire furniture for herself, spending $16,000 of it and putting the goods in her house and her office.