Advocacy is a catalyst for change. Throughout the year, social studies teacher Jon Resendez has been utilizing his voice to positively impact the community by promoting equity in education, exploring his passion beyond the classroom through a fellowship: Teach Plus California, an organization that revolves around removing barriers in education. 

Resendez applied for the fellowship last year, and after an extensive interview process, from writing a policy brief to completing a simulation about lobbying, the organization selected 25 fellows for the year. Although Resendez viewed the fellowship as a way to express his voice in government, he ultimately joined for his students. 

“I’ve always prioritized trying to be the thing that I’m asking my students to be,” Resendez said. “When you’re talking about, say, something like lobbying in a civics class, you want to be able to talk about it from experience, if you can. Not all teachers have that opportunity, but I’ve had a couple of policy fellowship opportunities that have allowed me to do that, so I think that allows me to add depth to the in class experience as well.”

As part of the fellowship, Resendez created a brief with his cohort to eliminate barriers faced by teachers of color. Then, they traveled to Sacramento to present their proposals to the California Assembly and Senate. 

“In April, we did a conference on sustaining BIPOC educators,” Resendez said. “So what changes do we need to make in our system and in our institutions to make sure that people of color want to become teachers of color? And then once they become teachers of color, how do we support them and help them become successful teachers for a very long time?”

Advocacy is often a tedious and slow process, with work being liable to change. However, it is an essential action to lay the foundation for future change and create necessary momentum, having a lasting impact for those who persist through adversity. 

“There are no guarantees, and in advocacy, you hope, and you believe and you keep grinding until you start to see the change,” Resendez said. “There’s an old saying that perfect can be the enemy of the good. If you want everything to be perfect all the time, you’ll never be satisfied. You’ll never move, you’ll never try. But if you can find that sweet spot that will take you a step forward or two steps forward on a very, very, long journey, that’s a lot better than nothing.”

Many teachers view Resendez as someone to admire. For social studies teacher Marisa Wilkerson, who for a time, was Mr. Resendez’s student at UCI, she values his unique style of teaching. 

“Mr. Resendez is probably one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, his style is very much hands on, he wants you to be in the thick of it, doing all the work yourself,” Wilkerson said. “He’s not gonna tell you all the answers, but he will support you in finding those answers, and I think that’s what makes him such a good teacher.”

Resendez is an inspiring figure who helps students figure out what they want to be and who they want to become, according to previous student and student teacher of Resendez, social studies teacher Samantha Ezratty.

“He was really influential in shaping my identity as a social studies teacher and really helped me gain the skills and the knowledge to be an effective teacher,” Ezratty said. “I learned a ton from him as both his student teacher and his student, and he was very influential in shaping who I am as a teacher.”

Aware of the many difficulties of teaching, for both teachers and students, Resendez will always speak for his peers and learners, according to Ezratty. 

“He was really able to amplify his voice in advocating for students, and also for future teachers,” Ezratty said. “Any great teacher knows that they’re also a learner, and that pursuing opportunities to broaden their content knowledge, or whether it’s kind of their voice from a larger perspective or advocating for policy, benefits and comes back to their students.”

Though many teachers do their job with passion and enthusiasm, Resendez goes above and beyond to help learners become the best version of themselves.

“My new why for teaching is really about providing guidance to students to become the most effective and happy citizens that they can be,” Resendez said. “I want them to be able to find truth, speak truth and do truth.”

This story was originally published on Portola Pilot on November 16, 2023.