One of the great challenges in the American educational system is the wide performance gap that exists between White and Asian students on one side and other minority students on the other. As a Hispanic educational professional, I know that educators are paying close attention to why Hispanics often lag behind their White and Asian peers.
It is a concern because they are not only the...
You are an eleventh-grade teacher. Rosa, a normally successful Hispanic student in your class, has been absent for several days. She finally shows up, but is consistently withdrawn and unmotivated.
After a week you ask her, "What's wrong Rosa? What is going on?"
She replies, "My mama has cancer. I found out when I translated for her when the doctor gave the test results."
Rosa's...
I remember when my youngest daughter told me that she was considering Cooper Union, an elite private university located in Manhattan. She wanted to study architecture and teachers were telling her it was the top school for that career.
I thought, "How could my daughter consider leaving her family in Florida behind?"
Since immigrating to the United States when she was only four years old,...
