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As Latinos, we know our numbers are growing, our educational attainment is increasing, we’re breaking barriers, and finding a voice in ways not previously seen in the U.S. mainstream. And yet… there is still a lot of ground to be gained, and one of the arenas in which we have a lot of work to …

My friend Jose Luis Vilson (Mr. Vilson to his students, and TheJLV to his online fans) agreed to share some of his ideas with me surrounding the theme of education for Latinos. As a middle school math teacher, in addition to being a writer, activist, edublogger, and poet (among his other skills), Jose has some …

This past week I went to a very interesting presentation by the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education, Russlyn Ali. The title of Ms. Ali’s talk was Achieving Equity in Education: The Resurgence of Civil Rights & Education in the Obama Administration. The presentation was offered by a local law …

If we are serious about helping all kids, including Latino children, get the best education, it makes sense for us to consider what gets in the way. Getting a quality education is much more than using the best methods, having the best teachers, and making the best educational tools accessible, although each of these pieces …

In addition to teaching our kids, it’s up to up to keep learning ourselves! Learning is such a foundational part for me, it’s one of the core modules in my Power Program. One of the issues I feel strongly about learning is who we as Latinos are and how we’re positioned. This means learning what …

We as parents, grandparents, caregivers, aunts, godmothers, etc. of our children are responsible for all sorts of education for our kids. We also know that children pay attention perhaps more closely to what we do than what we say. Perhaps precisely because of this, it is up to us to have conversations with the youth …

As we talk about education and its effect on our children, we also need to talk about the context of the educational environment. What is subject matter being taught and how are our communities being portrayed? While we’ve alluded to this in prior posts, I want the message to be crystal clear. If a child …

[Note: This article was based on an interview with early childhood development expert, Leticia C. Lara, whose bio is below.] Would you build a highway system without a plan? Of course not! The plan of connecting roadways, preparing for future traffic flow and reflecting on how communities will intersect is crucial. This is an apt …

Before we finish this discussion of Latino art and culture (for now), I’d like to take a moment to consider some of the characterizations we see of Latinos in the mainstream media, and how these can be hurtful as well as helpful. I’m the first to praise a good Latino movie or TV show, or …

My parents always encouraged me in school. When I was young, my mom read to me and I was instilled with a love of reading which I carry to this day. I was fortunate to have teachers who for the most part encouraged me in school, and affirmed that I was “smart.” I was incredibly …