Hispanic education in crisis

Question

Hispanic education in crisis

Hispanics make up the fastest growing segment of the American population, but are lagging when it comes to education. The consequences are huge not just for individual families, but the entire American economy.

President Obama said last year that Hispanic school children faced "challenges of monumental proportions". He was articulating what many in the United States have been worrying about for years - that Latinos - from kindergarten to university - are falling far behind.

A White House report published in April states that less than 50% of Latino children are enrolled in pre-school; just 50% earn their high school diploma on time and, those who do are only half as likely as their peers to be prepared for college. Just 13% have a degree.

Hi guys,

This news article gave me a big shock. Are things really that bad or the writers are just exaggerating??

I wonder does it include immigrants who aren't allowed attend schools? I don't know. - rabbitwho, Sep 28, 2011

Answer 1

This is nothing new. Hispanics, Blacks (African American, if you will), and Native Americans all share similarly distressing statistics regarding education and high-paying jobs.

Answer 2

Never trust a "White House report".

But unfortunately there is good reason to accept it as true,

Personally, because of your comment I will have to " dig into it" to see what the facts really are

Answer 3

I work within an urban school system with a large Latino population. 40% of our students grow up in homes where English is not the first language spoken. They come from 40 countries and speak 25 languages although the vast majority speak Spanish. Our graduation rate is 63%.

The problems are serious and complex. Crushing poverty, parents that are illiterate in all languages, houses where there are no books, households that move several times a year, children having children, all these factors contribute to the problem.

That was bad enough, but then our new Governor cut $25 million out of the our budget, so we furloughed 250 teachers. Now, gym and art rotate through the schools every 9 weeks.

If this information is overwhelming to you, I encourage you to not be discouraged. The most transformational thing that regular citizens can do is to volunteer at a local school. You can read to kindergarteners, be a volunteer coach of a sport you love, help the band as a booster, or mentor a child of any age.

Once you meet the students, you realize that they are just children. Their chances of success in school and in life will be greatly increased by their knowing you. You can teach them how to be polite, about career options and what they need to do today to prepare for college or a career. (If you want to be an engineer, you need to do your multiplication table homework in 3rd grade -- but they don't know that.)

I have heard that if a child hears someone make a comment about them 40 times, they will believe that it is true about them. We have no control about what they are told about themselves in their home lives. However, any of us can listen to an elementary school student read to us, help them over the big words and encourage them to practice. We can tell them that they are good at something 40 times and it will stay with them for a lifetime. This simple act will help them succeed in their education and lives.

I am told that it will also keep them out of jail.

p.s. If you want pre-school programs for poor kids, then you need to support Head Start. Of course, those budgets have been cut, too. Talk to your legislators if you want it to be different.

That thing about hearing a comment enough times and absorbing it is so true. I doubt the language barrier is the problem, though it might seem like it, because i know 8 year old Czech children who picked up English in a year and did fine in school. - rabbitwho, Sep 28, 2011

It's the economic stuff, all that you said about their lives at home and there level of security. It's really sad. - rabbitwho, Sep 28, 2011

Answer 4

I have heard that if a child hears someone make a comment about them 40 times, they will believe that it is true about them. We have no control about what they are told about themselves in their home lives. However, any of us can listen to an elementary student read to us, help them over the big words and encourage them to practice. And, this simple act will help them succeed in their education and lives.

Very true, self-fulfilment prophecy works with kids 99% of the time.

The fact is I don't live in The States, but it breaks my heart to see the potentials of any kid, anywhere, being encumbered by circumstances that can be easily improved. Education is sacred and it's the best weapon you could ever give to someone. Bad or no education at all will most probably produce a self-destructive human being.

Thank you so much, Joyce, for the valued input.

Thanks! I stopped in one of the (9) before-school programs I just set up last week and helped a volunteer listen to 3 first graders read. I taught them a trick I learned at that age of covering a big word with your finger and slowly revealing the - JoyceM, Sep 28, 2011

letters of the word as you move you finger to the right and sound out the word. You'd have thought I gave them gold. - JoyceM, Sep 28, 2011

Well, technically you gave them a piece of gold that would never depreciate. - SpanishPal, Sep 29, 2011

Answer 5

This is nothing new.