Gerry Schwarzentraub was a fearless advocate for students with disabilities in the Stockton Unified School District, and her presence is still being felt by educators who worked with her 17 years after her death.
Schwarzentraub's family moved to Stockton from Elkhart, Indiana in June 1976. She received her bachelor's degree in education from Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio and her master's degree and administrative credential from the University of La Verne.
Schwarzentraub began her career at Stockton Unified as a high school special education teacher for the severely handicapped in 1981, and she quickly became known for her dedication to students.
"She was a great colleague, and sometimes she allowed me to be her boss," said Vernon Uyeda, a former director of special education at Stockton Unified. "She could be a very strong personality, opinionated, fearless, smart as a whip ... and a dedicated advocate for the young adults (in the program)."
The California Legislature even recognized Schwarzentraub for her contributions to the state's special education curriculum.
When her time in the classroom was over, Schwarzentraub worked as a program specialist in Stockton Unified's special education department. She was an administrator for the Workability Program, a state-funded program that helps special education students ages 16 to 22 transition from high school to work, independent living, or postsecondary education.
After 25 years of serving the district, Schwarzentraub retired from Stockton Unified in 2006.
Uyeda said he wrote a letter to the Stockton Unified Board of Trustees in 2004 to request that a district building be named in Schwarzentraub's honor, though it took some time for that request to be fulfilled.
At the Dec. 17, 2019 board meeting, trustees gave their approval to the district's plan to name the building located at 1541 E. March Lane, which currently houses the Young Adult Program, for the educator, who died in 2007 after a long battle with cancer. She was 65 years old.
On Monday, Sept. 30, district leaders joined Schwarzentraub's family, friends, and past colleagues to celebrate the naming of the building and unveil a commemorative plaque.
Former Stockton Unified Superintendent Carl Toliver, who worked with Schwarzentraub when he was principal of Stagg High School from 1985 to 1989, said "she was an extremely bright woman."
"She knew anything there was to know about special education, you can just ask her," Toliver said, adding that Schwarzentraub was instrumental in securing grant funding for her school site. "The lady did a fabulous job at Stagg High School with the programs we had there."
When Toliver became Stockton Unified's superintendent, he said he continued to meet with Schwarzentraub occasionally to hear her feedback.
"I listened to her because the woman had one thing on her mind and that is what is right for students, and especially our students with special needs," Toliver said. "She made a difference ... our youngsters and our community are better for having someone like Gerry Schwarzentraub."
The educator's daughter, Jana Brooks, principal of Taft Elementary School, accepted the honor on her mother's behalf.
"This is a bittersweet day, and it makes me happy, and it would make her very happy to see the students and what this program has become," Brooks said. "I am proud to be her daughter and I am proud to work at Stockton Unified, and to put our students first ... all of our students."
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow .
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton teacher who championed students with disabilities gets building named after her
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