The Social Justice Academy (SJA) is a small learning community within San Leandro High School that serves over one hundred scholars and families each year. It is a rigorous three-year program that utilizes a pedagogy grounded in critical, intersectional, and transformative education, community, and solidarity.
(Teacher): Brandon started teaching in the Social Justice Academy in 2018. She teaches all of SJA English Language Arts Courses (English 10, 11, and 12) . She has taught at San Lorenzo High School, Bancroft Middle School, and Roots International Academy. She is also a founding fellow member of the Black Teacher Project, a design catalyst with The Teacher’s Guild, and a teaching consultant with the Bay Area Writing Project.
(Coordinator and Teacher): Viray Santos has been an educator since 2005 and started teaching in the Social Justice Academy in 2008. She currently teaches the following SJA courses: US Hxstory, Government, Economics, Social Justice 1, Social Justice 2, and Social Justice 3. Viray Santos has a background in community organizing and Ethnic Studies.
(Teacher): Ramirez has been a teacher in the Social Justice Academy since 2016. He currently teaches the SJA World Hxstory course. He has been teaching in San Leandro Unified for well over a decade. He has taught at Bancroft Middle School and Lincoln Alternative Education Center.