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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Camila Gallardo
(305) 573-7329
cgallardo@nclr.org
NCLR PRESIDENT AND CEO JANET MURGUÍA AND U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN DISCUSS STATE OF LATINO EDUCATION AT TOWN HALL IN KANSAS CITY
Town hall focuses on how to close the Latino education gap and prepare students to meet challenges of an ever-evolving future labor market
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, NCLR (National Council of La Raza) President and CEO Janet Murguía and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan hosted a town hall meeting about Latinos and education at the Metropolitan City College in Kansas City, Mo. The town hall is the latest stop on the “Education Drives America” bus tour, a U.S. Department of Education initiative which highlights important educational issues including school reform, student retention, and early childhood education. Today’s discussion focused on Latino students, who represent 23 percent of the nation’s schoolchildren.
“Latinos are vital to the future success and economic strength of this nation; their contributions to the labor force will help determine how competitive our nation remains in the world,” said Murguía. “It is fundamental that we ensure their fair shot at a high-quality education which will enable them to meet future challenges and fill future jobs.”
Education consistently ranks as a top priority for the nation’s Latinos, who are concerned about the quality of their children’s education and long-term prospects for success in the labor force. Recent Census numbers show that by 2050, Latinos will represent one-third of the nation’s workforce—all the more reason to focus on Latino educational success today.
Latinos students continue to lag at the bottom of the achievement gap. Only 63 percent of Latino students are graduating from high school in four years, compared to 78 percent of White students. Studies show that the achievement gap begins early in life—less than half of all Latino four-year-olds attend preschool, which puts them behind their counterparts when entering kindergarten and ultimately places them at risk for poor academic and social outcomes.
“We must lay the foundation for success early in life, and a critical part of that is access to high-quality preschool programs for Latinos,” added Murguía. “We also need to raise the bar for our elementary, middle, and high school students—we must set high standards, accurately monitor student learning, and provide effective instruction for all students, including English language learners.”
Common Core State Standards, teacher effectiveness, and school reform were among the topics also discussed during the hour-long town hall. For more information on Education Drives America, please visit Education Drives America. For information on NCLR Education programs and policy work and to access NCLR Education issue briefs, please visit www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/education/.
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