When Superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino was first hired, he went
out to the community and held meetings with various groups to share
his vision for the district. At one particular meeting a friend of
mine raised his hand and boldly asked,
”
What are your plans for the Latino students?
”
Dr. Nishino responded with an invitation to give his office a
call to discuss it further.
When Superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino was first hired, he went out to the community and held meetings with various groups to share his vision for the district. At one particular meeting a friend of mine raised his hand and boldly asked, “What are your plans for the Latino students?” Dr. Nishino responded with an invitation to give his office a call to discuss it further.
At the district office, Dr. Nishino arranged for a group of us to meet with Ricardo Amador, then director of the migrant program. Mr. Amador reiterated the superintendent’s commitment for the educational success of all students. He further emphasized the challenges the district, the county, the state and the nation faced to address the disparity in test scores between minority and non-minority students. We shared our concerns that too often Latino students are placed in low-level courses that take them off the academic track for college. These low expectations lead to lower achievement.
Since those initial meetings, the Superintendent and the school district have been active in addressing the achievement gap and in finding strategies to close the gap. I have written several columns on this subject and have participated in a few school-sponsored events.
One of those involved my middle-school aged daughter. Together, we joined two busloads of students and parents from Morgan Hill Unified School District to attend the Advancing Latina/o Achievement & Success) conference at San Jose State University. (The word “alas” in Spanish means wings – symbolizing that with an education, one can soar.) The day-long event was co-sponsored by San Jose State University and the National Hispanic University. I was inspired to see close to 3,000 Latino youth grades 5 through 10 listening to motivational speakers and attending workshops to prepare them for higher education. For many of the students and parents, it was the first time they had ever been on a college campus. On the bus ride home, there was a sense of excitement with families sharing what they had experienced and learned that day. The event was a tremendous success.
Last spring, I attended the English Learner Reclassification ceremony at Britton Middle School. The auditorium was filled with students, parents, teachers, administrators and volunteers all there to show their support to the 173 students who had met the criteria for being designated “fluent English proficient.” The celebration recognized the achievement of students who had mastered learning a second language while also learning new academic material in their new language.
Two years ago, State Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell held an Achievement Gap Summit to address, what he called, “a major crisis facing public schools in California.” Dr. Nishino was a presenter at one of the workshops. For the past three years, Dr. Nishino has worked closely with Edwin Javius, founder and president of EDEquity to assist administrators and educators close the achievement gap. Under Dr. Nishino, MHUSD has begun taking steps to analyze their data and begin reform measures. It is critical that the district continue this cycle of inquiry and continuous improvement.
While there is yet much work to be done, there has also been progress toward examining the issues surrounding low achievement among our Latino students. It is imperative that this openness continue. Ideally, the new superintendent will have experience working with diverse student populations with a track record of open dialogue and research-based practices in closing the achievement gap.
I’m encouraged to see Padres Unidos and other Latino community leaders take an active role in the search for the next MHUSD superintendent. However, caution should be taken not to create an atmosphere of “us versus them” that can hinder progress. It is also important to remember that there are many strong advocates for the educational success of minority students who are not themselves minorities.
MHUSD is at a transition to fill the vacancy left by Dr. Nishino’s retirement. Legitimate concerns have been raised by the Latino community, but many other concerns have also been raised by interested community members who have participated in recent focus groups related to the Superintendent selection.
Perhaps the most important message for the School Board and the advisory committee of representatives from the three employee unions is to synthesize and take to heart the interests of the various community members who have spoken. The selection committee needs to fully represent everyone in those closed door interview meetings.
Mario Banuelos has lived in Morgan Hill for 19 years. He has served on the south County Dayworker Committee and is a member of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation. He is married and has four children.
