”
Bienvenidos Dr. Smith,
”
read handmade posters surrounding the inside of Britton Middle
School’s gym as Morgan Hill’s Hispanic community welcomed the
school district’s new superintendent.
“Bienvenidos Dr. Smith,” read handmade posters surrounding the inside of Britton Middle School’s gym as Morgan Hill’s Hispanic community welcomed the school district’s new superintendent.
More than 450 parents, teachers, students and staff of the Morgan Hill Unified School District attended the Wednesday night assembly.
Local Latino advocacy groups the Coalition for Latino Education Achievement Defense and Padres Unidos invited Superintendent Wesley Smith, who started his job in November 2009, to the meeting.
Smith and other speakers addressed the predominantly Hispanic crowd in both Spanish and English. He stressed the importance of school district officials, principals and other staff collaborating with the parents and families of Hispanic students.
“Public education is the road for our children to realize their dreams, and the only way to get to those dreams is if we work together,” Smith told the crowd. “I want to start a relationship where we can guarantee kids are successful by working together.”
He encouraged the parents to approach the principals and staff at their children’s schools with their concerns or suggestions, and assured them that staff are willing to work with them.
Local parents of Hispanic students and community advocates have long been concerned with a widening “achievement gap” between students of different ethnicities in the school district. Hispanic students have historically performed more poorly than their peers in Morgan Hill schools. Scores on 2009 standardized tests showed that Morgan Hill’s Hispanic students scored lower than the average.
Latino community advocates presented the superintendent a list of five recommended actions the superintendent and trustees can take to help close this gap.
These are efforts to improve parent involvement in their children’s education; hiring bilingual support staff at the schools; more after school tutoring programs in which the help of volunteer parents and community agencies could be sought; intervention programs to identify students who are at risk of failing academically, and prevent their failure with more instructional attention; and encouraging input from parents on the district’s budget decisions.
Smith suggested the possibility of instituting a six-week summer school program focused on Hispanic students who have struggled with the English language.
He agreed that after school tutoring and other supplemental, individualized instructional programs would benefit struggling students, but it would not by itself close the gap.
“We can have after-school help but we have a responsibility to make sure the time we have during the day is used correctly,” Smith said.
After the meeting, parents who attended the assembly said they were pleased with the new superintendent’s willingness to listen to the concerns of the Hispanic community.
“I think (Dr. Smith) is going to bring good changes to the Hispanic community. We need it,” said Elvia Gonzalez, a mother of a ninth and a fifth grader. “He gave me the confidence to trust, and not be afraid to ask questions or talk to (principals and district staff).”
Her children have attended Morgan Hill schools since kindergarten, and she said the school district has never conducted an assembly similar to Wednesday’s, which was open to the entire district and was attended by the trustees.
The assembly was even complete with traditional dance routines performed by Morgan Hill Hispanic students, and performance by the Live Oak High School jazz band.
Evangelina Ruiz, whose son attends Central High School, said she was encouraged by Smith’s support for after school and summer instruction programs.
Julian Mancias, a member of COLEAD, said the assembly which has been anticipated for several weeks, was a success. He said the primary goal of the meeting, to introduce Smith to the Hispanic community, was accomplished with the attendance of a standing-room only crowd.
“A lot of people attended the event to show Dr. Smith that we do have a strong interest in the education of the kids of Morgan Hill,” Mancias said.
Plus, he was pleased that the trustees, principals and teachers who attended the assembly were there to witness the Hispanic community’s willingness to work with them.
The “highlight” of the evening, to Mancias, was the chivalry displayed by Britton Middle School’s MEChA club students, who helped audience members to their seats, took pictures of the event and decorated the gymnasium prior to the superintendent’s arrival.
The next step for the Hispanic community will be determined in the coming weeks as CoLEAD and Padres Unidos discuss the reaction to Wednesday’s assembly, Mancias said. He said the groups will eventually follow up on the five recommendations they presented to Smith.
