Over the past decades, Latinos have emerged as the largest minority in the nation, with majority populations in many states and regions, and in some cases, the majority demographic among school-age children. In many ways, this is our moment as a major cultural influence on art, music, food, and so forth. Our workers, too, are the backbone of many sectors of the intertwining local, regional, state, national and global economies. Yet, the strength of our schools and communities, basically put “our place in the world”, is impossible to evaluate without focusing on the educational outcomes of Latino students.

Latinos continue to have some of the highest dropout/pushout rates, score among the lowest on achievement tests, and have low college enrollment and graduation rates. Both Latino students and teachers have a high mobility rate, are located in racially segregated communities with high poverty rates, and attend schools with fewer resources, staffing, and programs.

Albeit, our communities’ and nation’s strengths continue to depend, to a large extent, on the positive educational outcomes of Latino students (in general), it is the educational attainment of Latina females (in particular), that is essential to our well-being and success. Latinas make up 1 in 5 women in the United States, 1 in 4 female students in public schools, and by 2060 are predicted to form nearly 1/3 of the total female population. Simply, LATINAS DEFINE THE FUTURE – as few factors better predict a student’s educational outcomes than the education of his or her mother. 

Yes – Latinas have made significant progress in a number of areas of education and well-being over the last decade, and currently Latino males are faring more poorly than their female counterparts. Latinas are also incredibly entrepreneurial, as the number and rate of Latina-owned businesses has increased eight times that of men-owned businesses. Yet progress has been extremely slow and Latinas are faring much more poorly than their counterparts from other ethic/racial groups, still earning less in the labor market (earning less than 60 cents for every dollar a white man earns for the same job), have the least access to health care of any group of women, and are still more likely to live in poverty and as single heads of households. 

As a group, Latina females start school significantly behind other females, and without proper support and intervention are never able to completely catch up to their peers. Latinas graduate from high school at lower rates than any major subgroup, and are also the least likely of all women to obtain and complete a college degree.

Please join us Thursday, March 29, 2018 as we convene key stakeholders: teaching professionals and educators, researchers, academics, scholars, administrators, independent writers and artists, policy and program specialists, students, parents, families, civic leaders, activists, and advocates. In short, those sharing a common interest and commitment to educational issues that impact Latin@s.

LA EDUCACIÓN LATINA SERÁ EL ENFOQUE DE CONFERENCIA EN LA UNIVERSIDAD DE CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO

El jueves 29 de marzo se llevará a cabo la conferencia Latino Education and Advocacy Days, mejor conocida por su sigla en inglés como LEAD, que se traduciría como Día de Defensa de la Educación Latina. Esta actividad se desarrollará en el Centro de Estudiantes Manuel Santos, de la Universidad Estatal de California en San Bernardino (CSUSB)

El objetivo de la cumbre será promover y crear conciencia sobre la gravedad de la crisis que la educación latina enfrenta actualmente, y fortificar el desarrollo intelectual, cultural, y personal de los maestros, administradores, líderes y estudiantes de nuestras comunidades.

Todas las presentaciones se efectuarán en inglés, pero habrá intérpretes calificados de traducción simultánea a español disponible todo el día.