Hispanics activists offer plan to boost bilingual education

Hispanic leaders Thursday rolled out a seven-point plan to overhaul bilingual education and turn around student achievement in Denver schools.

While the plan stressed policy reform, leaders urged school officials to change the way they think about the largest ethnic group in the district.

”You have to stop being so Anglo in your thinking,” said Joe Navarro of Padres Unidos, a group pushing for bilingual education reform.

Added north Denver activist Nita Gonzales: ”We are a community in crisis. . . . Our greatest focus and commitment is to our children.”

Hispanics presented the school board with a 30-page action plan for improving the academic achievement of Hispanic students. Highlights include:

* Hiring more Hispanic administrators and teachers, especially for bilingual education. Offering annual bonuses to bilingual teachers.

* Changing the curriculum to better reflect Hispanic culture and issues.

* Providing more early childhood education and gearing more college prep and alternative programs toward Hispanics.

* Building partnerships with colleges to increase the number of Hispanics moving to higher education.

* Increasing parent participation in school activities.

The picture for Denver Public Schools’ 24,000 Hispanic students is bleak.

Districtwide achievement scores released last week showed Hispanic students performing well below the national average in math and reading tests. Their average score was less than half that of Anglo students.

The Hispanic dropout rate has increased since 1990, and just over half of the Hispanic students who enter high school as freshmen graduate.

Much of Thursday’s discussion centered on overhauling the bilingual education program, the target of persistent criticism over the last year.

”The problem is not that Hispanic children don’t speak English. The problem is a lack of commitment,” said activist Ana Marie Sandoval.

After decades of bickering over minority issues, Hispanic leaders and DPS officials have slogged through year-long talks to produce a plan. Thursday’s meeting was the culmination of those renewed efforts.

Both sides adopted a more conciliatory tone than in previous meetings, saying they generally agreed on the principal issues.



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