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.