Sergio Hernandez – Katherine R. Smith Elementary

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Sergio Hernandez is a 4, 5, 6, Special Day Class teacher at Katherine Smith Elementary School, a New Tech Network, a Demonstration site for Project Based Learning and P21 Exemplar school in the Evergreen School District in San Jose, California.

In 2012, Sergio was part of the teaching staff team and leader who reinvented Katherine Smith, an urban neighborhood school in a high poverty area, using innovative project design to engage students.

In his sixteen years in education, Sergio has been an advocate for children's rights working to redefine special education through effective teaching models, social-emotional learning, and technology use.

Sergio's interest in teaching began in 2003 when he started his career teaching at a non-public high school in San Francisco, CA. He taught 9th-12th-grade special education to at-risk adolescents. He then started teaching at the Evergreen School District in 2007, where he has been working in a public elementary special day class, teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th graders in all subjects.   

Sergio has a strong work ethic and prides himself on serving his school community and going beyond his responsibilities.  Besides his responsibilities as a Special Day Class Teacher, he has been in a variety of leadership roles that include: Strategic Team member, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Leader, Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) Leader, has lead workshops to parents and teachers, New Tech Network Elementary Cohort Member, and head coach of Katherine Smith Wrestling Club.

Sergio believes working closely with his teaching team and having students working closely with their general education peers, he can create an environment where students who learn differently can learn at the highest level, are free of labels, and are included within project-based learning. Sergio wants to prepare all his students for the 21st century to be exceptional citizens, and give them the skills to choose a path for college or vocational training for the future.

Sergio grew up in King City, California until graduating from King City High School, in 1998. He went to graduate from California State University Bakersfield, graduating in 2003 with a degree in Psychology and minor in Sociology.  Afterwards, he completed his Master of Arts Degree and teaching credential at San Francisco State University in Special Education in 2007.  

He currently lives in San Jose with his wife of twenty years, Fabiola Gonzalez.  Sergio is proud that he is in a position to give back to his school community at least a small portion of what he has received.  

Sergio plans to use the $20,000 to improve K. Smith Wrestling Program, complete murals needed for school beatification, supplies needed for resources to the K. Smith's After School program, and special education classroom furniture re-design and assistive technology for his classroom.  

To see and to make a contribution, go to
Web: http://ksmithschool.eesd.org/page.cfm?p=3722
Facebook: KSmithSchool
Twitter: @ksmithschool @sergioh831
YouTube: ksmithschool

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