Ulysses Navarrete calls on us to push again and demand fairness in training
As we transfer into the subsequent yr, it’s crucial to face the truth that our training system stands at a crossroads. Over the previous yr, now we have seen a troubling erosion of the Division of Schooling’s position, the federal authorities rescinding the coverage designating colleges “delicate places,” and threats to vital English language learner (ELL) applications by probably chopping funding for Title III and rescinding steering on how colleges ought to establish and help English learners.
Now’s the time to push again with clear, direct, and unapologetic advocacy, particularly for Latino college students and different college students of shade. This second calls for that we advocate fiercely for a federal training division that’s each robust and dedicated to the wants of all college students.
We should insist on legislative measures that restore the Division of Schooling’s full capability and fortify it in opposition to future makes an attempt at dismantling. We’d like a division that’s not only a regulatory physique however can be a driving power for instructional fairness and innovation. This implies pushing for laws that protects and uplifts colleges serving predominantly Latino communities and actively works to shut alternative gaps.
We should even be direct: Revitalizing the instructing occupation is not only about filling lecture rooms with extra lecturers. It’s about guaranteeing that these lecturers replicate the various identities and experiences of the scholars they serve. ALAS, the Affiliation of Latino Directors and Superintendents, has lengthy championed pathways for Latino educators and leaders, and the insurance policies we advocate for should proceed to help that mission. This implies funding residency applications, supporting paraeducators in turning into licensed, and ensuring {that a} profession in training is revered and nicely compensated.
Lastly, robust help for college leaders is not only a “good to have,” it’s a “have to have” for the faculties that serve our traditionally marginalized college students. We’d like insurance policies that provide ongoing skilled growth, mentorship, and sources for instructional leaders. We should always prioritize laws that each stops the cuts and actively builds capability inside our faculty methods. When our leaders are supported, our college students thrive.
In essence, it is a name for daring, unapologetic motion that locations fairness on the forefront. By advocating for a stronger Division of Schooling, a revitalized and various instructing workforce, and well-supported leaders, we will make sure that Latino scholar and different college students of shade have the alternatives they should succeed. This work can’t be accomplished in isolation. It requires a united nationwide voice. Becoming a member of the ALAS nationwide group strengthens our collective advocacy, elevates Latino management, and ensures we’re organized, knowledgeable, and influential the place selections are made. Then, and solely then, can we make sure that our academic system meets the wants of all college students and prepares them for the long run.
Ulysses Navarrete is govt director of ALAS—the Affiliation of Latino Directors and Superintendents. www.alasedu.org
