Meet Teresa
Delivering Results for Our Community
Teresa Castellanos serves as a trustee on the San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD)
Board, representing Area 1. Her work on the board has been marked by a strong
commitment to equity, inclusion, and quality education. She has been instrumental in
updating the district's equity policy, introducing ethnic studies, and passing a Black
Lives Matter resolution. Additionally, Castellanos has prioritized addressing the
achievement gaps for Latino and special education students, and she has been involved
in efforts to ensure that the needs of all students, particularly those with special needs,
are met. Castellanos is a proud union member with OE3 CEMA and has been a part of
the active labor movement for over 30 years. Castellanos is endoresed by the primary
union SJTA and historically has had thr sole endorsement of SBLC.
My Educational Experience:
When I began kindergarten, I was a Spanish-speaking-only child in an English-only world. At that time there was no bilingual education, I didn’t learn to read until 5th grade, and my world changed when I finally did learn. I went from being a child who was not engaged and quiet, to participating in everything that was offered to me. I attribute this fundamental change to having teachers who did not give up on me.
A year after I graduated from San Jose High School, SJUSD lost the desegregation lawsuit against it that had been initiated 15 years earlier by Latino parents at SJHS. This lawsuit brought SJUSD into an era of self-reflection in which systems and processes had to be analyzed and changed. From this court-mandated directive, district bussing was initiated, district-wide parent committees were initiated, school choice became a standard, and teacher training and support for families emerged.
UCSC was a challenge as I realized that I did not know how to read and write at a university level. Through the persistence that I had developed in my elementary years and the institutional support I received a bachelor's degree from UCSC, completed the coursework for a master's in Sociology at SJSU, and completed a master’s in public administration at National University. My academic career was never easy, but it has always been about learning how to implement a growth mindset, asking for help, and building community.
My Work and Community Involvement:
My educational experiences have given me the purpose and drive that guide me in my professional career. In my employment choices, I focused on inclusion, equity, and the recognition of needs in the context of diversity, building bridges, opening doors, and helping people take the steps necessary to participate civically and build community. I have worked with families for over three decades.
In the mid-1990s, I worked for Catholic Charities, establishing the organization’s citizenship program. Following that, I worked for the Santa Clara County (SCC) government in citizenship and immigrant programs for the last two decades. I have worked on several projects that specialized in promoting immigrant integration. I have been a faculty at SJCC where I have taught leadership classes, English and citizenship classes at community-based organizations.
As parents, my husband, Arturo & I raised our four children in SJUSD.