Meet Carla

Educator, Community Advocate, Latina

"We all benefit from a diverse learning community"

Carla Hernandez

I am Carla Hernández, a veteran Credentialed Special Education Teacher and

Student Advisor at East Side Union High School District.

I have dedicated my work to addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences,

Absenteeism Intervention, Mental Health Advocacy, and Anti-Racist,

Inclusive teaching. This work is personal to me because I have faced housing

insecurity and other ACES as a child and I continue to see their impact

on our students. 

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As a daughter of an immigrant and refugee, I am committed to reaching

families of all languages and identities. My family and I struggled

finding quality public schools that my younger sister and I

were zoned for. After receiving a need-based scholarship to attend

college, I knew that the classroom was where I was meant to be. 

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I received my B.A. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of

Pennsylvania and my M.Ed in Special Education from Loyola Marymount

University. My master’s thesis focused on how to develop self-advocacy

skills in diverse learners through a race and social justice lens. I fully recognize

that the changes we want to see in our communities are interconnected and

deserve an interdisciplinary approach.

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As a teacher, I have taught integrated science, biology, and study skills.

I have advocated for special education students to have inclusive general education experiences and helped families navigate special education law. I also recognize how enriching community experiences can be.  In my first year of teaching, I worked to obtain a Target scholarship for my integrated science classes so they could attend the San Jose Tech Museum. 

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In and out of the classroom, at the heart of what I do is relationship and community building. I was the founding sponsor, along with Independence High’s amazing social worker, of the first mental health advocacy club of Independence High. I have advocated for fairer housing initiatives and participated in a fellowship with First 5 California constructing policy briefs on housing prices, child care cost, and adverse childhood experiences. I am trained in mindfulness facilitation and social emotional learning, created an attendance intervention and mentorship program at the high school I serve, and am always looking for opportunities to innovate how we learn and grow as a community. 

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I commit to serving Oak Grove with an equity and justice lens, and to lean on my policy, classroom and personal experience.