Celebrating Hispanic Achievement in Public Education

From September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanics are the largest cultural group in California with over 15.6 million Hispanics. Our roots stretch across North, Central and South America, and those who trace their heritage back to the original indigenous communities of Latin America and Africa. While Hispanics have had a huge impact on our state, our communities are struggling to survive, and many of us are striving to close our academic gaps.

As a teenager, I immigrated from Mexico full of dreams and belief that the United States offered everyone a chance to succeed. But I quickly realized that the dream is not yet fully realized for everyone. My public education experience began thirty years ago in West Texas, where I went to do research as part of my graduate studies. I have seen the aspirations and struggles of low income families as they fight for a better future for their children; I have seen a system full of good intentions but far below the needs of families. This experience has motivated me to dedicate my career to protecting public education and improving outcomes for our most vulnerable students so that the promise of opportunity can be fully realized for all.

I’m not alone. Today, more and more Hispanics are working at various levels of public education and dedicating themselves to the mission of improving opportunities for underserved students.
Last year, Miguel Cardona became the second Hispanic Secretary of Education in the United States. Cardona’s secretary, of Puerto Rican origin, entered kindergarten speaking only Spanish. He eventually earned a Master of Science in Bilingual and Bicultural Education, exploring the gap between English learners and their classmates, an experience that motivated him to consolidate his work in this important direction.

Earlier this year, Alberto Carvalho was named Superintendent of LAUSD, the second largest school district in the nation with 74% Hispanic students. Carvalho personally understands the difficulties of being an immigrant and an English learner. As Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, he worked to achieve greater equity for low-income Hispanic students.

Ana Ponce, the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the first in her family to graduate from college, is the executive director of Great Public Schools Now, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Los Angeles students receive a high-quality education. In 2011, Forbes magazine named her one of the ten most influential educators in the country. Her experience growing up in the MacArthur Park/Mid-Wilshire area led to a career focused on addressing student poverty, language barriers and lack of access to basic resources.

Since I came to the United States when I was 17 years old, until now I have lived in different places in the country; but California is definitely the place where I feel most down to earth. Here I found a Latino community equally passionate about empowering students because we believe our systems should and can work better. Latin American educational leaders like Maria Casillas, Yoli Flores, and the indomitable Monica Garcia have worked for decades to ensure that our children’s needs are included in every policy they advocate at the local, state, and federal levels.

California is stronger through Latino innovation and achievement, and we will continue to thrive by fighting for equality and closing achievement gaps. Hispanic students are changing the trajectory of first-generation college admissions across the state, radically changing what opportunity means to all of us.

One of the main ways Hispanics can make a difference in public education is by voting for candidates who have a strong focus on education, creating more opportunities for our students. By electing public officials who understand the value of education, who understand that representation, voice, and activism are rooted in the community, we will continue to build on the tremendous strides we as Latinos have made to make California stronger.
The future belongs to Latinos. The future is today.

Myrna Castrejon is President and CEO of the California Charter School Association (CCSA).