Spark Spotlight shines a light on an educator making a meaningful impact in their classroom and community. Together, we celebrate their creativity, inspiring stories, and unwavering dedication to SFUSD students’ success. 

In January, we sat down with Elijah Stewart.  Mr. Stewart is a Math Teacher at James Denman Middle School and also teaches for Black Star Rising (a rigorous STEM program for African American students, funded by Spark).

On the second floor of James Denman Middle School, a classroom door displays the red, black and green colors of the Pan-African flag, alongside the following message: “Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit.” Behind this door, Elijah Stewart teaches 8th-grade math and leads a math acceleration elective designed to support students needing extra practice. Every summer, he also teaches in the Black Star Rising (BSR) program—a Spark-funded Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program that focuses on STEM achievement, authentic community engagement, culturally sustaining practices and exposure to careers. 

Stewart graduated from college in 2020 and began teaching math at SFUSD the following spring. However, his connection to SFUSD stretches back much further: he was a student in the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program at Argonne Elementary. From there, he was supposed to transition to Presidio Middle School, but SFUSD misplaced his paperwork.

“It was before online applications,” Stewart explains. “Losing a GATE student on their way to the next school didn’t make much sense and it was a really frustrating time for my parents, especially for my dad who was an SFUSD educator at the time,” Stewart shares. By the time SFUSD located his paperwork—three weeks after the school year had started—it was too late: Stewart was already enrolled at St. Finn Barr Catholic School and went on to attend Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep for high school. 

Stewart has always excelled at math, a skill fueled by his love for problem-solving and his passion for building and engineering. Just a few months into teaching at SFUSD, he was invited to teach rising 9th graders in the BSR program: “I hadn’t even taught a whole quarter yet for SFUSD before they got me into BSR and I’ve loved it ever since!” Stewart offers. “BSR is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a teacher. It’s incredibly satisfying to guide a student through a 6-week project and teach them the steps and maths to reach a final product.” 

In recent summers, BSR students have worked on building glider planes, gaining valuable lessons along the way. One key takeaway has been learning to face challenges head-on and creatively problem-solve when things don’t go as planned. “When students launch their planes and realize they don’t work as expected, we guide them on what they need to adjust to improve performance—whether it’s making their planes fly higher or farther,” Stewart explains. “And when something breaks and they exclaim, ‘I can’t believe this just broke!’ we challenge them: ‘How are you going to fix it?’”

Stewart emphasizes the importance of BSR for participating students: “Many of these students may have never had a Black teacher before, so I get to share that experience with them for the first time—building relationships, fostering a sense of community, and sharing my journey as a kid from San Francisco. I love teaching, and I love math, so being able to dedicate an entire summer to this work is incredibly fulfilling. Every day, I get to guide students through projects, teach them concepts they might have missed, and watch them grow and progress. That’s a huge accomplishment for me. It’s the reason I come back every year!” Stewart exclaims.

Stewart highlights the program’s broader purpose: “At BSR, we’re not just preparing students for high school. We’re teaching them to think critically, understand the engineering process, and see how the real world works. This is an opportunity for them to be part of a supportive community of Black students and Black teachers, all committed to their success. It’s this positive environment of growth and encouragement. Although there are hiccups and we are trying to fight through some bad habits that they’ve picked up, you get to see students say ‘Ok, now I understand why you are asking me to do this.’ The expectation is that you are going to do well and grow. You know that the person next to you is also here to get their work done and the person across from you is there to help you progress.”

Stewart emphasizes the power of exposure that programs like AAALI and BSR provide. “I tell my students that I went to an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) in Alabama, and that can help them understand that there are many different paths out there. BSR gives us the chance to expose our African American and Black students to a whole world they don’t get to see at home, on TV, or on social media, because that’s not what mainstream media shows them. But BSR and AAALI put it directly in front of them.”

“A student might not believe they can pass a math class until you show them that others have succeeded in that class before,” Stewart adds. “They can then say, ‘My teacher from BSR went to an HBCU, ran track in college, and went to Sacred Heart—so I know it’s possible.’ Without programs like AAALI and BSR, students don’t realize these experiences even exist.” 

Stewart reflects on how he could have fallen through the cracks if not for the strong support he received at home. “I was supposed to be an SFUSD graduate, but things didn’t work out that way. AAALI didn’t exist in 2008, but now, with AAALI, we know who the African American, Black, and Brown students are in the district, and they have someone they can turn to. I had my dad, and luckily, my parents kept me on track. But not every student has that. Who knows how many pieces of paperwork were lost during those years when everything was on paper? With AAALI, I’m confident that teachers are committed to keeping all of our children safe, guiding them, motivating them, and ensuring they stay on the right path. That’s why AAALI is so important to me. Without programs like AAALI or BSR, our most marginalized students are at risk of falling through the cracks and not getting back up. But with these programs, I know that even if they stumble, there’s someone right behind them to help them rise and keep moving forward.”

Stewart recalls running into BSR students at high school games and hearing them shout, “Mister, we’re so glad because everything you taught us in the summer was the first thing we did in 9th grade!” Stewart laughs and responds, “See, I told you!”

His first in-person BSR group from the summer of 2022 is now just one year away from graduating. “That’ll be the first group I’ve helped graduate, and it’s going to be a huge accomplishment. I’m excited to see them head off to college and explore the fields they choose. I also get to see some of them return to the program in the summer, and I get to teach their brothers and sisters. It’s a powerful sense of community—students and teachers growing together. BSR gives them the opportunity to achieve their goals.”