April 7, 2006

EESD Latino students participate in Civil Rights Summit

District 8 Councilmember Dave Cortese recently joined about 30 seventh grade Latino students from the Evergreen Elementary School District for the 2006 Latino Students Civil Rights Summit.

Pictured with the EESD seventh graders are (from the bottom of the staircase up) are: Councilmember Dave Cortese, EESD board member Sylvia Alvarez, Quimby Oak Asst. Principal Gina Juarez, Chaboya Asst. Principal Derrick Watkins, LeyVa Principal Chris Corpus and EESD Superintendent Clif Black.

Identified as potential Latino student leaders, the seventh graders from Chaboya, LeyVa and Quimby Oak middle schools listened to Latino high school and college students give heartfelt testimonies about some of the barriers they’ve personally experienced getting into college or completing a college education.

A panel of elected officials, including Councilmember Cortese and EESD board member Sylvia Alvarez, noted the challenges, including the lack of bilingual counseling, financial aid assistance, and parent involvement in their education.

EESD’s participation in the Summit was the first activity of the Superintendent’s Youth Leadership Council.

“We’re beginning to look at the achievement gaps by getting students in middle school to start setting goals and making it a priority to pass the high school exit exam, graduate from high school and pursue a college education,” said EESD Superintendent Clif Black.

According to the California League of United Latin American Citizens, which hosted the Summit at National Hispanic University, 50 percent of Latino students statewide fail the high school exit exam.

Black said that once the older students at the Summit realized that there were middle school students among them, several lamented, “I wish somebody would have started preparing me in middle school,” echoing the sentiments of many.

“Preparation for high school graduation and college can’t begin during sophomore year in high school,” said Black. “We have to start preparing them in middle school.”