Words by: Anne BannisterPhotography by: Anne Bannister, Brian Diggs, & Karen Wang
As LaDerrington Bradford (fondly known as L.B.) walks down the hall, he greets everyone he meets with a handshake, high-five, or an enthusiastic smile. He’s the heart of Cleveland High School, located in Cleveland, Texas, roughly 45 miles northeast of Houston. He checks in with everyone on how their weekend was or how their cousin is doing. He knows every student, every family connection, every story. He’s the kind of educator who makes students believe the impossible is within reach.
“It’s that, ‘I can factor,’” says Dr. Sukari Stredit, principal at Cleveland High School. “‘I can accomplish the impossible.’ That’s what a good educator can do. They light fires. They ignite passion to make you think that you can do anything. And that’s what [LaDerrington] does in the classroom, making certain that literally, [students] can walk on water if they need to.”
Produced by Anne Bannister & Christina Dunigan; edited by Anne Bannister; cinematography by Anne Bannister, Brian Diggs, & Karen Wang; interviews by Christina Dunigan; assisted by Briana Mascitelli
It’s that, ‘I can factor. I can accomplish the impossible.’ That’s what a good educator can do. They light fires. They ignite passion to make you think that you can do anything. Dr. Sukari Stredit, principal, Cleveland High School
It’s that, ‘I can factor. I can accomplish the impossible.’ That’s what a good educator can do. They light fires. They ignite passion to make you think that you can do anything.
As a Life Skills teacher, Bradford’s classroom is a mix of high-quality instruction, learning, laughter, and essential skills for living an independent life. In his self-contained classroom of 18 students, each with an individualized education plan (IEP), he adapts lessons to the unique needs of every learner. He works one-on-one with students in support of their general education classes, while also teaching essential life skills, such as cooking, personal hygiene, budgeting, and building strong interpersonal relationships.
Some students need guidance navigating the hallways or accessing the bathroom. Others need encouragement to push through reading and math or to manage the ups and downs of teenage life. Bradford is there for all of it, partnering with administrators, teachers, and parents to create an environment where his students can thrive. His ultimate goal is to prepare students to live independently and contribute to their community after graduation.
As of the 2023–24 school year, 280 Cleveland High School students (approximately 8% of the student body) were enrolled in the special education program. Public schools remain uniquely positioned to provide individualized support for all students, especially those with special needs. Bradford shows what it looks like in practice: skill, high expectation, patience, and a warm smile every single day.
“When you see that the kids are passionate about learning and they want to be involved and they want to get the knowledge, it makes you, as a person, feel very special,” says Bradford. “To be able to do this with the life skills students here at Cleveland High School, it has just been an amazing opportunity.”
Top: LaDerrington Bradford, a special education teacher at Cleveland High School, works one-on-one with a student. Bottom left: Bradford waves to a bus driver while assisting with the afternoon pickup. Middle: Bradford supports a student with their coursework. Right: Bradford leads his class in a cooking demonstration.
Bradford’s path to teaching began in these very halls. He graduated from Cleveland High School, then returned as a paraprofessional while pursuing his undergraduate degree at Sam Houston State University. When he earned his degree in education, he returned full-time to the school where he spent his teenage years.
“Being able to graduate from your hometown and then come back and be an educator in your hometown, it says a lot,” says Bradford. “Because it lets you know that you want to build your community up, that you came back to make a statement to people, to let people know, ‘Hey, this is a place that I grew up, I care about, and I want to do anything possible to impact this place, to leave my mark behind.’”
“He is truly a grow-your-own educator, an example that it works in the community, that it works for school districts,” says Dr. Helen Berg, associate dean of student success and partnerships at Sam Houston State University. “He grew up in the community. He worked in the community, and he was going back to the community. He represents the culture of the community. He knows the people. He knows the parents and the kids.”
“He is a true Clevelandite,” says Stredit. “If you had to say, ‘What does Cleveland look like?’ He’s a walking billboard of what Cleveland looks like. He has the heart. He has the soul. He has the compassion. Not only that, but he wants to give back.”
Cleveland, Texas, still retains the familial quality of a small town, but the district has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years. Texas Education Agency data shows Cleveland ISD’s student population tripled over the last 10 years, from under 4,000 students in the 2013-14 school year to almost 12,000 students in the 2023-24 school year. Fast growth brings challenges like overcrowded campuses, staffing shortages, and complex transportation schedules. Yet Bradford welcomes the challenge with his signature optimism and positivity, “We’re adjusting to accommodate the growth and help these students and families feel welcome and also to give them an opportunity.”
The kids love him because they see how much he cares about them. I think that says a lot for a student to say, ‘I’m leaving high school, but hope Mr. Bradford can still take care of me.’” Pamela Horace, counselor, Cleveland High School
The kids love him because they see how much he cares about them. I think that says a lot for a student to say, ‘I’m leaving high school, but hope Mr. Bradford can still take care of me.’”
Bradford’s love for special education traces back to his high school days, when he often stopped by the classroom of Sandra Burrell, a special education aide.
“It was a God-gift when L.B. used to come by,” says Burrell. He had a special knack for making students smile – a gift he carries to this day.
Burrell became a mentor, modeling what it meant to create spaces of belonging. “One thing Ms. Burrell did for me was she taught me, ‘When you get in that room, know your students. Don’t pass them on. Take the time with them.’ Even if it goes as far as knowing their background at home, get to know those kids because when they come in, you never know the type of night they had before or what they went through.”
That lesson stuck. Today, his students feel his care in every interaction.
“He cares about the students so much,” says Pamela Horace, a counselor at Cleveland High School. “We have a particular student who is wheelchair-bound … the student told his father, ‘I really want to work when I graduate. You think we can get Mr. Bradford to come to my job when I graduate to help me?’ … the kids love him because they see how much he cares about them. I think that says a lot for a student to say, ‘I’m leaving high school, but hope Mr. Bradford can still take care of me.’”
Bradford poses with his mentor, Sandra Burrell, an instructional aide at Cleveland High School. Burrell retired at the end of last school year.
Bradford’s dedication to service runs in the family. Raised by his grandparents, he grew up in a household where hard work and community care were everyday values. His grandfather worked in a lumberyard, and his grandmother tended the home. Together, they opened their doors to neighbors for barbecues, birthdays, and community gatherings.
Jeffery Rogers, the oldest of Bradford’s three siblings, paved the way. After college, he took a substitute teaching job and quickly found his calling as an audio-visual arts teacher.
“Service corresponds to being a teacher, and giving to others who are around you,” says Rogers.
Bradford initially thought he’d pursue criminal justice at Sam Houston State University (SHSU), but like his brother, he felt the pull toward education. In 2019, Bradford was awarded the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers. In addition to financial support, the scholarship welcomes aspiring and early-career teachers into a connected learning community.
“That scholarship helped me in so many ways, and I’m blessed to say that I have it … It is an amazing opportunity for networking, for you to learn different teaching strategies, for you to hear about others’ experiences, and see how other school districts do their curriculum. It’s just an amazing opportunity.”
The SHSU program provided Bradford with high-quality clinical practice, strong pedagogy, and a foundation in education advocacy.
In 2022, Bradford joined Rogers full-time at Cleveland High.
In the video below, the two brothers discuss the moments that shaped their shared journey to becoming educators.
Produced & edited by Anne Bannister; cinematography by Anne Bannister, Brian Diggs, & Karen Wang; interviews by Christina Dunigan; assisted by Briana Mascitelli
Together, the brothers are proud to model a rewarding, purpose-driven career. Rogers says, “I think [our family] gets a sense of pride in seeing both of us as teachers, and they can brag about us being teachers and know that there’s a pathway other than sports to be successful in life and to give to others in different ways and give value.”
Perhaps most meaningful of all, teaching fulfills a dream their grandmother once quietly carried. “We didn’t know she wanted to be a teacher,” Rogers said. “Then, when we got into the field and she shared that with us, it was like, ‘That’s amazing.’ I cherish that.”
Bradford has found a career of purpose, skill, and leadership, where he shows students that they belong and the impossible is within reach.
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