Jason Torres-Rangel

Imagine walking into class for the first time and hearing, “Good morning! I’m your new English teacher, Mr. Torres. Are you cool with a fist bump? I love your shoes; those Crocs are fire! Come on in.”  When students enter his class, they are greeted with care, hope, and love. Work of former students adorns the walls, along with inspiring social justice posters and welcoming photos.

Students soon realize that Mr. Torres strives to inspire wonder, sharpen critical thinking skills, and “activate their dreams” as they analyze their world, both inside and outside of school. They discover that he makes personalized phone calls to serve as check-ins and commendations on a job well done, and that their academic success and social-emotional growth is paramount to him.

Jason Torres-Rangel’s teaching philosophy is founded in a “social-justice, equity-oriented approach that recognizes it is our job as educators…to allow students to blossom into their fullest academic and personal potential.” He wants his students to understand social constructs related to identity, such as race and gender, as they investigate the texts they study, and make meaning of the world around them. 

Jason successfully engages students of all background and ability levels by selecting texts with cultural relevance based on the experiences of his students. He creates entry points for all students, taking into consideration their academic strengths and challenges, allowing them autonomy in choosing novels that entice even the most reluctant readers, and providing engaging writing assignments grounded in specific instruction that gives them the tools to succeed.

Outside of the classroom, Jason has taken on many leadership roles. He began a Seminar Elective Program at the UCLA Community School and was given a full-time coordinator from UCLA to help build the program, which culminated in an inspiring Seminar Showcase at the end of the year. He began a Day of Silence in 2005, where students and faculty gave up speaking for a day to highlight the silencing that LGBTQI individuals experience daily. Since 2016, Jason has worked with the National Writing Project to better support literacy and the teaching of writing, and has trained thousands of teachers nationally.

But despite all his accolades, Jason’s greatest rewards are when his students “find their voices, achieve greater understanding of themselves, and tap into their own capacity for greatness.”