Equity & Diversity

Undocumented Students’ Advocate Is Principal of New Charter School

By Mary Ann Zehr — July 07, 2009 1 min read
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Yvonne Watterson, who has been featured in the New York Times for her efforts to raise private funds to pay for the college education of undocumented students, has a new job as a principal of a charter school in Arizona that is scheduled to open this fall (hat tip to Joanne Jacobs.)

Last December, Watterson was fired as principal of Gateway Early College High School, in Phoenix, which had some undocumented students who she helped get money to pay for college courses. Citing personnel-confidentiality concerns, the school’s officials never said publicly why she was fired, according to a March 19 article in the Arizona Republic. The article says Watterson was both praised and criticized publicly for taking a position in raising funds for the education of undocumented students.

Watterson edited a book, Documented Dreams, that contained thank-you letters from her students to donors describing their college dreams.

Alhambra College Preparatory School will be administered by the Alhambra Elementary School District in Arizona and will have the goal of enabling students to get college credits while attending classes at the charter school, according to the Arizona Republic article.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Learning the Language blog.