♪♪♪ Jason: As an English teacher, I love this subject because we get to study life.

And so my mantra for English is through reading, writing, thinking, and speaking we study texts to find out more about what it means to be human.

Jason: Okay.

Good morning, juniors.

All: Good morning.

Jason: How are you feeling today?

Narr: Spend a little time in Jason Torres-Rangels AP English classroom, and you may notice several things.

First is this teachers deep connection to his students.

Jason: My students absolutely teach me every day.

Um, and they always surprise me.

High school students have so much wonder.

Um, and theyre so curious.

They have lots of questions.

Theyre hilarious, theyre hysterical.

Um, and they are just so fun to be around.

Narr: That connection and affection for their students is shared by many thousands of California public school teachers.

But Jasons exceptional commitment to creating a safe and nurturing space in his classroom may be one of the reasons why he was named Californias 2022 Teacher of the Year.

Its an honor this educator at L.A.s Theodore Roosevelt High School is quick to share with others.

Jason: I see it as a really great opportunity to shine a light on the profession, um, on the hard, hard work that all teachers put in, um, and that all educators put in -- counselors, librarians, custodial workers, administrators.

It's truly a team effort.

Narr: That “team effort ” was exemplified and, in a way, pioneered by Jasons parents.

In the early 1980s, Domingo and Evelyn Torres-Rangel, began alternating the school years each spent in the classroom, becoming the first couple in the L.A. Unified School District to share one fulltime teaching position.

Their goal -- create equal time to focus on their careers and their two sons.

Today, these two retired math teachers couldn't be prouder of their son.

Evelyn: He really tries to understand people.

He just really understand the whole person.

Domingo: He always has been blessed with that gift, this amazing ability to interact and communicate and connect with people.

Ben: Everybody has their own style.

There's no one way of being a great teacher.

But I think it starts with just caring about students and prioritizing relationships and creating a welcoming classroom community.

And that's something he really excels in.

Jason: I think I approach every day with a sense of joy, um, a sense of humor.

Some folks think that students kind of have this limited perspective sometimes, but they're incredibly plugged in.

Um, they're incredibly aware of what's going on and they'll bring in things and educate me.

Narr: That shared learning, that mutual respect is one reason why Nanette, a senior in Jason's class, nominated him for the Teacher of the Year award.

Nanette: Since like my junior year, I've seen a whole different perspective of how school really is and how, um, a teacher can really impact your life.

Carolina: I was really proud of my teacher, um...

I think it was very well deserved.

Mr. Torres is a great teacher, in my opinion, and obviously others.

Narr: Torres-Rangel teaches at a school that has a long history of social activism.

In 1968, Theodore Roosevelt High in the Boyle Heights area was one of five East L.A. schools where students and some teachers boycotted classes demanding bicultural education, that Spanish be allowed to be spoken, and calling for more Latino teachers and administrators.

Jason: Uh, who wants to go next?

Narr: That commitment to social justice remains an essential element in Jason's daily lesson plans.

In this exercise, they're discussing the practice and societal impact of child labor throughout history.

Jason: I definitely approach education and teaching from a social justice perspective.

Um, from a sense of, you know, asking deep questions about the world.

Who are we?

What does it mean to be here?

Um, what are the kind of ingredients of our society?

What do those mean to us?

And, you know, what are aspects that we might improve or change?

They say that teachers are kind of, uh, were gardeners, you know, were always planting seeds.

And you never know when those seeds are gonna sprout.

But when... when those seeds sprout, um, its always... its always really special.

Ben: One teacher can make all the difference in a student's life.

The one teacher who actually takes the time to get to know a student, who shows that they really believe in that student, who works with that student and doesn't give up on that student.

That can really change a student's trajectory for the rest of their life.

Jason is definitely that kind of teacher.

Narr: For this statewide Teacher of the Year, the hope is that each and every student leaves his classroom with a renewed voice, a sense of their importance in the world, and an understanding of the role they play in making their community and the world better.

Jason: And that really they can do whatever they want, um, that you know, whatever their... their dreams are, whatever their passions are, they can forge that career, um, that academic path.

Um, its... it's there for them.