Assistant Principal Chavez works in an office with windows facing the parking lot and hallways, but you will never see his blinds down. Coming from a diverse background, he believes in community care. 

Chavez is a community based administrator who has worked in various school districts with a passion to care and support both his students and communities. He wants students to know they can rely on him when needed. Many administrators at San Leandro High focus on individuals in the school community. Not Chavez. With a diverse background in education, Chavez believes in building the community as a whole. 

“I think about how we can create a school where, no matter what kind of student you are or what kind of experiences you want to do,” said Chavez. “They’re reflected on this campus … that’s something that’s important to me.” 

From attending the University of California Berkeley, to going to graduate school on a full ride scholarship at the University of Chicago, Chavez got to experience many things. 

“[Chicago] could be a great place, but it could also be a place [where] you see a lot of things,”said Chavez. 

Getting his education from California to Illinois gave Chavez experience with diversity as well as a background in teaching at various schools in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco.

“I think the insights that we [the San Leandro High School administration with similarly diverse work experiences] bring to this work, are really important,” said Chavez.

Instead of staying out in Illinois, Chavez decided to come back to his home state of California because a job opportunity opened up for him. 

“My first teaching job was teaching at Madison Park Academy…and I started teaching middle school there and I always knew my passion was teaching, you know, that was very clear.” said Chavez.

Chavez highlights the importance of community by mentioning how San Leandro High includes all students into one community, like the special needs groups.

 “… I’m still learning more about our special education programs, which are really complex and I’m so happy that we have them here in high school, “ said Chavez, “because very often in other school districts they just put them in the, you know, the back of some random place.”

As Chavez explained the importance of a community, he also notices some things at San Leandro High that already stand out to him.

“I think San Leandro continues to add so much potential and I feel like there’s so many people that are doing great things, especially our academies…our ROP programs are doing some awesome work.” said Chavez. 

Chavez is a compassionate administrator who exercises restorative practices with his students. He understands the rough expectations of being a young student of color.  

“As a ninth grader, I was expelled from high school because my brother was a graffiti writer and I was sent to a different school,” said Chavez.  “I remember my mom being called to the front office and them telling her in Spanish… they just looked down on her.”

Chavez was no stranger to not feeling welcome on a school campus, especially when he attended Whittier High School in California.

“It was just those schools where like everything around you was catered to one specific group of people and basically if you were Latino, they would just kick you out, you know?” said Chavez. “They looked down on us [Latinos].”

Coming from Mexico, Chavez entered the second grade speaking only Spanish in an English speaking environment. That language barrier shaped how he understands and supports the San Leandro High community. 

“They need something more like, somebody to talk to or somebody who could communicate with you and I think about language.” said Chavez. “I think about how that information is being communicated… just how many of them appreciate somebody that will talk to them in their home language.”