MEET VAN CEDRIC
Community and Student-Centered.
Hi! I’m VanCedric Williams and I’m a Teacher, and your School Board Director in OUSD District 3.
I was born in Los Angeles and am the first in my family to attend and graduate from college. One day as a 6th grader while I was walking home from school, I shared with my mom that I wanted to change the world and she said, “Son, adults are set in their ways. If you want to change the world then you need to work with young folks. They have the most promise.” That conversation was the catalyst for me choosing a career as an Educator 20 years later.
I’ve dedicated myself to teaching students in the most underserved communities in the San Francisco Unified School District for 20 years. I’ve called Oakland home for the last 10 years. My career and passion for the power of public education began as a paraeducator working with Sudanese refugee students in San Diego. I went on to pursue teaching Social Studies full time.
In 2000, I began teaching 6th-8th grade. I discovered that many of the students I teach have to deal with problems that would overwhelm most adults. From those years, I realized that seeing the achievement and success of young folks and Black male students offered no better reward.
Thereafter, I moved to High School and taught high school ethnic studies, US Honor history, AP government, geography, and "Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)". I have been working hard to be a teacher- leader of the Community Dream School Project while leading a student mentoring program that encourages and helps BIPOC students graduate and attend various types of universities. In my years of teaching, I’ve concluded that I haven't met a child who can't learn.
Throughout my career, racial and social justice/equity in our schools and communities has always been a focus. When students learn from a culturally relevant curriculum they do better and feel better about themselves. Every student should receive nothing less than the highest quality education.