Zandy’s March Blog Entry

Zandy’s March Blog Entry

While reading the book “Racism on Trial- The Chicano Fight for Freedom”, I became interested in the aspects of the book that detailed education for Chicano children. One particular passage from the book in which a teacher stated “We will keep trying… but there is nothing you can do with those kids, they can’t discuss, they can’t talk, all you can do is give them seat work to keep them busy and keep them under control” (p.17) caught my eye. Although this quote is referring to the educational system in the 1950s and 1960s, the public school system for minorities, and particularly Hispanics, has not improved as much as it should have today. If one wants to create more parity among the different ethnic groups of the United States, one must enhance the public educational system in minority communities.
Today, Latinos are quickly becoming a significant proportion of the US student population according to the US Department on Education. While reading the report from the department, many striking facts hit me, such as almost 2 in 5 students were below the modal grade and do not graduate from high school. The main conclusion of the report showed that Hispanics were lagging behind Blacks and then Whites in test scores and college degrees, however their enrollment in primarily minority schools has increased dramatically. This is likely due to the fact that Hispanics on average have lower average incomes. The study indicates the obvious that primarily minority schools must improve for Hispanics.
Improving the public school system for minority students, especially Hispanics is not an easy challenge. The issue is complex with many conflicting ideologies on how to deal with the problem. However, personally I believe there are a number of strategies that we must implement in order to improve the schools for Hispanic children. First, a dramatic increase in funding is needed for these schools. With more funding, the schools can afford and retain better teachers, which is vital in enhancing the school system. Also, more after-school programs should be created to help tutor and supervise students so that they do not engage in outside activities that could hinder their education. These after-school programs could also include college preparation courses, which could help increase the number of students ready to attend college. Finally, colleges need to offer more student loans and scholarships to Latino students. Latino students are grossly underrepresented in colleges compared to other ethnicities. By increasing the number of Latino college students, the long-term situation will improve. With more Latino college students, the likelihood is greater that more Latino students will become teachers with college degrees that would help in the educational system. Also, if a rise in Latino college attendance occurs, one would most definitely see an increase in average income for Latinos. This would benefit the educational system for Hispanics because their communities could provide more funding for students due to the higher incomes. Something must be done as soon as possible, otherwise the Latino educational system will continue to decline, which thus hinders the Latino effort for greater economic equality.