Latin Roots Newsletter, Vol. 4, April 2004

Dear friends:

This is happening at a time when the emergence of Hispanic issues in the U.S. is becoming a major part of the national agenda. For some analysts, changing Latino demographics pose a problem, but for others, including ourselves, they only strengthen our multicultural society.

At Latin Roots our goal is to find ways to make our Latino communities more robust, enhancing their contribution to society. And the best way to go about it is through education. We hope to make a fruitful contribution to the future of Latino students in the Merrimack Valley by addressing problems early, offering suitable solutions to these youngsters to help them overcome the challenges they face. In our next newsletter we will tell you the results of the survey and our plans to convert them into constructive programs.

Leonardo Vivas

Executive Director

I chose education as a way to change the world

Interview with Karla Baehr, Superintendent of Lowell public schools

LR. After running school districts in Wellesley and Lexington, what made you come to Lowell?

KB. Like many others I chose education as a way to 'change the world'. After graduating I started teaching in Methuen, then Arlington, until my career took me to the suburbs, where the jobs were. Recently I was called to Lowell, which is big enough to try multiple solutions to problems, and small enough for them to have an important impact. The key is working in a place where education really matters.

LR. How can a school system move toward better performance without affecting equity when high stakes testing puts immense pressure on schools, and yet resources are shrinking?

KB. Accountability is a good thing. At Lowell High we found 41 kids with very high MCAS scores who were not in the line for graduation. Testing helps you to identify the problems. Transparency is forcing the commonwealth to do something to improve results. During my PhD we found that Mass had one of the most decentralized education systems, and it was mostly the poorer kids who were left out. With the 1993 Education Reform Act everything began to change. It has been ten years, and maybe it will take ten more to see the results.

LR. Is the school system is failing minority students, and especially Hispanics?

KB. That is self-evident. Socio-economic status + race is highly correlated with success in school. While working in Wellesley I examined the ratio of workers to the children and retirees who depended on them. It was something like 1 to 3 in 1948, 1 to 8 in 1966, up to 1 to 20 today. We can't afford to let even one kid fail because otherwise, what's to become of the city, and of the regional economy?

Editorial
Dear friends: This is happening at a time when the emergence of Hispanic issues in the U.S. is becoming a major part of the national agenda. For some analysts, changing Latino demographics pose a problem, but for others, including ourselves, they only strengthen our multicultural society. At Latin Roots our goal is to find ways to make our Latino communities more robust, enhancing their contribution to society. And the best way to go about it is through education. We hope to make a fruitful contribution to the future of Latino students in the Merrimack Valley by addressing problems early, offering suitable solutions to these youngsters to help them overcome the challenges they face. In our next newsletter we will tell you the results of the survey and our plans to convert them into constructive programs. Leonardo Vivas Executive Director Testimony I chose education as a way to change the world Interview with Karla Baehr, Superintendent of Lowell public schools LR. After running school districts in Wellesley and Lexington, what made you come to Lowell? KB. Like many others I chose education as a way to 'change the world'. After graduating I started teaching in Methuen, then Arlington, until my career took me to the suburbs, where the jobs were. Recently I was called to Lowell, which is big enough to try multiple solutions to problems, and small enough for them to have an important impact. The key is working in a place where education really matters. LR. How can a school system move toward better performance without affecting equity when high stakes testing puts immense pressure on schools, and yet resources are shrinking? KB. Accountability is a good thing. At Lowell High we found 41 kids with very high MCAS scores who were not in the line for graduation. Testing helps you to identify the problems. Transparency is forcing the commonwealth to do something to improve results. During my PhD we found that Mass had one of the most decentralized education systems, and it was mostly the poorer kids who were left out. With the 1993 Education Reform Act everything began to change. It has been ten years, and maybe it will take ten more to see the results. LR. Is the school system is failing minority students, and especially Hispanics? KB. That is self-evident. Socio-economic status + race is highly correlated with success in school. While working in Wellesley I examined the ratio of workers to the children and retirees who depended on them. It was something like 1 to 3 in 1948, 1 to 8 in 1966, up to 1 to 20 today. We can't afford to let even one kid fail because otherwise, what's to become of the city, and of the regional economy?	LR. Do you think under-performing minority students should be targeted for special action? KB. Cultural affirmation recognizes that just as there is a personal identity, a personal aspiration, there are also group identities. I have been very influenced by the book "Why do all the black kids eat together in the cafeteria?", by Beverly Tatum. We have to convey messages of high expectations for kids. It all comes down to working with kids both as individuals and as members of a group. Also, the closer we are to the community, the better. We have changed our recruiting process. Instead of waiting for who may come, we're going after the best, so we can find people to tackle issues related to the multicultural nature of our city. LR. How do you connect with Lowell's economic role in the Merrimack Valley? KB. In Lowell we have tremendous resources, like U. Mass-Lowell-Lowell or Middlesex Community College. With the latter we began tracking high schoolers interested in specialized professions like vascular technology or dental hygiene, with high starting salaries. We also had a special event to help 370 seniors in Lowell High with no specific plans after high school. We made presentations about the professions, financial aid, etc; the Efficacy Institute has also given us clues for grant partnerships. So there are deep roots with Lowell's industrial heritage. Latino Profile Dorca I. De Gomez Chairwoman, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination In 2000 Massachusetts Governor A. Paul Cellucci elevated Commissioner Dorca I. De Gomez to the position of Chairwoman. Dorca has been active in civic and community affairs for many years. Beginning in New York, where she was born, she has dedicated her life to civil and social justice and has led a distinguished career in public service. For over twenty years she lived in Springfield, MA where she served as a trustee of the Springfield Technical Community College, the Community United Way, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center and the NUYORICAN Poets Café. A graduate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, she is a founder of Latinas Unidas, a women's empowerment group, and has been honored several times for her leadership, by the Massachusetts Hispanic Attorneys Association as one of "Las Primeras", by the Pioneer Valley Girl Scout Council, and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center's Mujer Award in 1995. The MA Minority State Police Officer's Association recognized Commissioner Gomez with its Public Service Award in l998. She is the proud mother of two sons and three grandchildren.

In January of 2004 we will perform our survey of 8th graders in the Lowell public schools. The results will help us identify the problems facing Latinos in Lowell, and to design afterschool programs to help keep them in school, get their high school diplomas, and go to college. Please help us with this important task. Thank you so very much for your support. Leonardo Vivas, Roy & Leslie Lobb Please make your tax-deductible donation to Latin Roots Corp.
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	April 2004, Volume 4
Latin Roots is a nonprofit organization created to serve the Latino communities.