Vallejo teacher urges community to recruit and support local educators

Brandon Harris, a U.S. history, American government and economics teacher and girls varsity basketball coach with the Vallejo City Unified School District, told the board during public comment that community support and mentoring are vital to retaining teachers and helping students succeed.

Harris, speaking in his 24th year with the district, described his early years as a young teacher when he "got along really well with the kids" and sometimes served as a brotherly figure. He said small acknowledgments from students — notes and graduation invitations — have been deeply meaningful to him.

The teacher described how the athletic director asked him to coach the girls' varsity basketball team despite having "never coached a day before in my life," and how that opportunity grew from administrators seeing his rapport with students. "I really want people to come into the profession and wanna stay," Harris said, linking his coaching and classroom work to broader efforts to recruit and retain educators.

Harris recounted mentoring a former student who struggled in middle school but, by senior year, had applied to college, attended San Francisco State and invited him to her graduation. He used the story to illustrate how sustained teacher involvement can change student outcomes.

Discussing partnerships, Harris said he had been "partnering with Otter this year" and highlighted "Jason," a local mentee, as someone whose dedication inspired Harris to encourage more young people to consider teaching. He emphasized that new hires would receive support from administration and colleagues, describing the school environment as "like family."

Harris concluded by urging the public to "invest in your kids," volunteer at school sites and show the community's commitment to Vallejo High. He closed his remarks by thanking "VC USD."