A lifelong Waterbury resident, LaToya Ireland is a Democratic Commissioner on the Waterbury Board of Education. LaToya attended the Waterbury Public Schools and graduated from Wilby High School, and attended the University of Bridgeport where she received a degree of Bachelors of Science in Human Service in 2018.

LaToya believes strongly that parents and guardians should be at the table when important decisions such as budget, teacher recruitment, policies & procedures, etc. are being made and voted on. The Board of Education must be responsive and receptive to parents, staff and the community at large.

As a parent who is active in the schools and in the community, the volume of challenges that we face as a district there is no skill that is a greater demand than that of advocacy.

A seasoned leader, LaToya wears many hats in service of the City she loves. She is the founder of For Right Now, a local non-profit incorporated in 2017 to help individuals and families with basic needs. She is a member of The Waterbury Democrat Town Committee 73rd District, a member of the Waterbury Black Democratic Club, a member and 2nd Vice president of the Greater Waterbury NAACP Branch, also serving as the Co-Advisor for the Waterbury Pride NAACP Youth Council. LaToya also serves as a Parent Leader for Parents of Waterbury (POW), a Waterbury Bridge to Success Family Engagement CAN that seeks to provide parents/caregivers with concrete tools and resources that can best support their children, families and their communities. LaToya Ireland still resides in Waterbury with her husband and their two daughters. Their oldest, Kayla, is a graduate from Wilby High School, while their youngest, Shamira, attends North End Middle School; both schools are in the Waterbury School District.