Last week the White House the President’s Advisory Council on Educational Excellence for Hispanics named 10 “Champions for Change"--exemplary Hispanic educators who are making a difference for Hispanic students. It’s particularly good to see pre-k teacher (and TFA alum) Vanessa Lugo-Acevedo on the list. Nationally, Hispanic youngsters are significantly less likely to attend pre-k than their white and black peers, despite clear evidence that pre-k has real early learning benefits for Hispanic students. That makes highlighting the accomplishments of Hispanic early educators all the more important.
More than half of Hispanic youngsters live in the 7 states that constitute the American Southwest (including Colorado, where Lugo teaches), and the region is a demographic bellwether for the nation. A series of new reports from First Focus looks at the regions changing demographics, as well as effective strategies and big ideas to improve learning outcomes for kids in the region.