Opinion
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor

Article Spotlights Needs of Hispanic Parents

October 30, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

As the article “‘Gateway’ Districts Struggle to Serve Immigrant Parents” (Oct. 3, 2012) makes clear, Hispanic students are being unfairly discriminated against in school districts across the country. Many schools are consistently neglecting to provide parents with necessary documentation in Spanish, making it impossible for non-English-speakers to access their children’s grades and disciplinary reports. Not only is this a discriminatory practice, it also contributes to the low performance of Hispanic students on state standardized tests.

By preventing Hispanic parents from involvement with their children’s education, these students are being deprived of a needed resource, as parental involvement is a crucial factor in promoting students’ academic success and engagement with their education. Involving Hispanic parents in their children’s education is one creative way to address Hispanic students’ poor academic performance.

School administrators must take steps to make Hispanic parents feel welcome in the school by providing all necessary forms in Spanish as well as providing adequate translation services for parent-teacher conferences or advertisements for school events in Spanish as well as English.

Hispanic students will make up a large portion of our school systems from now on. As such, their ability to thrive academically is an important issue for administrators. By failing to allow Hispanic parents to be involved in their children’s educations, schools are perpetuating discrimination by robbing those students of an important source of support, thus making academic achievement that much harder.

Addressing such issues is necessary to ensure that discriminatory practices are eliminated from the American school system.

Kayleigh Williams

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the October 31, 2012 edition of Education Week as Article Spotlights Needs of Hispanic Parents

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Families & the Community Vaccine Rates Remain Down, Exemptions Are Up. What It Means for Schools
New federal data show that vaccine rates among schoolchildren have not rebounded since the pandemic.
    4 min read
    A student applies a bandage after receiving a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from a nurse, at a vaccination station in Jackson, Miss., Feb. 16, 2022.
    A Jackson, Miss. student receives a bandage on the arm after receiving a children's dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from a nurse, at a vaccination station in the city, Feb. 16, 2022.
    Rogelio V. Solis/AP
    Families & the Community New Research Finds a Crucial Factor in Reducing Chronic Absenteeism
    Just as strong connections with parents can boost students' academic achievement, new research shows the same is true in fighting absences.
    5 min read
    Illustration of happy school children running on a bridge handshake.
    iStock/Getty
    Families & the Community The Biden Administration Is Investing More in Parent Engagement. Will It Be Enough?
    The U.S. Department of Education announced $11 million in grants to support parent and family engagement.
    4 min read
    Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Aug. 5, 2021.
    Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks at the White House on Aug. 5, 2021. The U.S. Department of Education has announced a series of grants for organizations working on parent education and family engagement.
    Susan Walsh/AP
    Families & the Community District Leaders Are Walking a Fine Line on Cellphone Policies. What That Looks Like
    Administrators point to strategic ways to design student cellphone policies that parents won't oppose.
    5 min read
    Photo illustration of cell phone with red circle and slash.
    iStock / Getty Images Plus