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Program Participant: Webster Cruz

From the Weight Room to the Classroom: Meet Capuchino Special Education Teacher Webster Cruz

Students and a teacher are gathered around a table in a classroom, with a whiteboard and office supplies visible in the background.

Webster Cruz’s journey in education started in the weight room of Capuchino High School. Back in 2022, alongside his cousin, CHS Athletic Director Jay Oca, Webster served as the football strength coach. It was in this role where he worked with football players on how to lift weights that he saw the connection to potentially pursuing a career in education. Jay even suggested to him that he apply to be an Instructional Assistant at CHS, where he was hired in 2023. After two years in this role, he felt he “had an easy way of connecting with students in helping them better understand the curriculum.” His colleagues were also suggesting to him that he become a teacher. With the connection made, he decided to enroll in the SMUHSD Classified to Teacher program. Once he began the program in the Fall 2024 semester, he was assigned to an internship at Burlingame High School. During that internship, he served as an Education Specialist and Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) Math 2 teacher, where he also learned about case management documentation and IEPs.

A graduate in a purple cap and gown holds a diploma while posing with a man in a blue jacket and baseball cap in front of a purple backdrop with "SF STATE" logos.

When the internship ended, he interviewed for the Education Specialist position back where it all started - Capuchino. Webster has served in this role since the Fall 2025 semester and also has a role in CHS’s pilot SAI Math program.

Webster describes the day in and day out of his new role, “As an Ed Specialist, duties include case management, IEP documentation, classroom management and conducting family/faculty IEP meetings. As an SAI math teacher, my goal is to keep the students in alignment with the general education (curriculum and state standards) while providing a differentiated way for them to learn. This means breaking down lessons more for them so they can grasp the concepts and practice the calculations in multiple modalities.”

Webster received his internship credential from San Francisco State and will complete his preliminary credential in June 2026. He received his Masters in Special Education from SFSU’s College of Education in May 2026.

For more information about the Classified to Teacher Program,  contact SMUHSD Classified to Teacher Coordinator Lindsay Bussey at lbussey@smuhsd.org.