Making the studenteducator connection a priority Jerry Almendarez
In 2010 I was appointed Superintendent
of a large urban school district
in Southern California.
To be honest with you, it scared
me to death.
But that aside, I was fortunate enough to
have a lot of dedicated and caring people
throughout my career,
who have mentored me for this opportunity.
On the other hand, I probably have had
just as many
who were equally surprised that
I became Superintendent.
Which brings me to three students that I
encountered as Superintendent,
and the interactions I had with them that
profoundly impacted me as an educator.
The first is a young man by
the name of Michael.
In high school, I’d label Michael as your
classic knucklehead;
the kind of student that spent more time
causing just enough trouble
to annoy those trying to do good.
He was an average student, who was focused
more on making friends than grades.
Now suffering the consequences of the poor
decisions his senior year,
I remember him feeling hopeless and
disconnected.
Barely graduating and left behind by
friends
who received their college
acceptance letters,
he gravitated to the local community
college, where he quickly realized
he could be removed from college
as quickly as he was accepted.
But as time passed, he eventually changed
his ways.
As he got a few years older and more
mature, he began to make better decisions,
and eventually became an educator,
where he’s dedicated over 25 years of his
professional life to help others like him.
And for all the heartache, trouble and
challenges,
I take pride in his success because you
see, I am Michael.
My name is Jerry Michael Almandarez,
and I am proud and honored
to be serving as the first Latino
Superintendent
of the community I grew up in.
But somehow after finding success
as an educator,
I found myself conforming to a
system that I vowed to transform.
I became the man hiding
behind a suit and tie,
disconnected from the students and the
communities that I serve.
How could I let this happen?
At a young age growing up, I’d become
apathetic towards education.
My only connection to school was to spend
time with friends,
and I’d approach adulthood without any
certainty of what I wanted to do.
So when I became Superintendent, I wanted
to help kids like me,
and I was confident that I could.
I wanted students to feel hopeful
and not helpless.
I wanted to be the pen that helped them
re-write their stories
and shape their future.
I figured with my background, and going
through school unengaged and disconnected,
I would understand them
and be able to connect with them.
However, when it was my turn,
I would fail.
I failed to see students for who they are,
I failed to connect with them,
and hear their stories.
Instead I focused on what they look like.
In hindsight, I bestowed on them similar
biases and expectations
that were given me as a young man.
Now let me explain how I realized
that I had become disconnected.
In 2014, I started a book club
with students.
The book club was an idea to model the
importance of reading.
I started with high school students,
and purposefully looked for books about
current topics that would be relevant
to students lives, and generate
conversations;
conversations like the one that brought me
together
with a young man by the name of Eric.
Now I met him in one of my
first book clubs.
When Eric entered the room, he had what
I would call a stoic look on his face,
as if he was scanning the room, debating
whether he should stay or leave.
A young Latino, he entered wearing a
Pendleton buttoned up to his neck,
baggy pants, and a hat.
Immediately I thought
this guy must be lost.
Within seconds though, he was sitting
in the chair next to me.
And as we began to talk about the book,
I quickly discovered Eric was exactly
where he was supposed to be.
After an hour long discussion, he
turned and handed me a folder,
and asked me if I wouldn’t mind reading
and providing feedback to a few
stories he had written.
I quickly discovered Eric was a poet,
published author,
and a passionate reader, at the age of 17.
How could I let this happen?
I became an educator to help students––
I had judged Eric before I even
got to know him.
But his participation in the book club
provided me a gateway to connect with him.
But how many more students like
Eric were out there?
Then a few years later I crossed
paths with Tamarian.
I met Tamarian last year
when I held a book club with Advanced
Placement English class.
Like Eric, Tamarian entered the room,
and immediately caught my attention
by his appearance.
I was curious to see if his intentions
were to engage in our group discussion,
or retreat.
As students engaged in discussion,
I caught Tamarian reflecting on every word
others were sharing,
and thoughtfully pondering what other
students were saying.
Tamarian’s courage and self-reflection,
and his desire to open up and share
his personal story,
touched me to the core,
and I needed to know more about him.
I was shocked to learn that
at the age of 9,
while most kids were enjoying
their childhood,
Tamarian was learning how to bag
marijuana for sale.
It was at this time he also discovered
a talent for stealing,
which escalated in a robbery.
At the young age of 14, he earned the
title of convicted felon.
After those experiences,
most kids would end up in jail, become
a product of the system never to escape.
Tamarian’s story though is about courage,
determination, and perseverance.
Tamarian wanted more, and after
those hard lessons,
refocused on school and enrolled
in Advanced Placement English classes,
with a firm goal of being the first in
his family to go to college.
Here was Tamarian, a student, who has
more courage than I could ever imagine,
proving to me that he could overcome
any adversity,
and I was judging him on as something
as shallow as his appearance.
Meeting Eric and Tamarian served
as a stark reminder of my own experiences
and the decisions that I made
in my childhood,
that could have taken my life
in a completely different direction.
I’d so easily forgotten.
I’d buried my experiences and my past,
and allowed myself as Superintendent
to conform to a system
that pushes students through,
rather than connecting with them.
And how many educators like me were
forming biases of students
before getting to know them?
And how easy is it as an
educational leader
to not have any contact with
students like Eric and Tamarian?
Both of these students had the good
fortune of building connections
with a few dedicated educators during
their public school careers,
and they were better for it.
But as Superintendent, I know that there
were countless students who do not.
When I was in high school,
becoming an educator was the
farthest thing from my mind.
Not because I didn’t think
education was important,
but because I didn’t feel
like I was worthy of teaching other
people’s children.
Being a good student didn’t
come easy for me,
and unfortunately, my experiences and my
challenges in school aren’t uncommon
for many of the students in our public
school system today.
It was easy for me to forget the power
of building connections with students,
especially as a person who shares
some of those same experiences.
Will you join me in the call to
action as educators
to create meaningful connections
with students?
As educational leaders, will you join me
in building an environment
that encourages educators to
engage with students?
Will you join me in educating and
leading with a flashlight,
learning to ask questions rather
than pass judgement?
Thank you.