Low expectations from teachers, an absence of parental involvement and irregular access to a home computer contribute to high dropout rates and school disengagement. According to surveys, disconnection at home and in school feeds a significant achievement gap.
While 83 percent of Hispanic students aspire to earn a postsecondary degree, less than one-quarter are academically prepared to meet that goal, says a joint report released by ACT and Excelencia in Education.
The fact that low-income students continue to face an uphill battle, as the rest of the nation's students flourish, is obvious to Bill Admans, co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Minds Matter, a tutoring and mentoring nonprofit. In a conversation with Latin Post, Admans talked about the status of low-income students and the ways Minds Matter has worked to improve conditions for them on a local and national level.
Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, former member of the Texas House of Representatives and practicing pharmacist, is the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in the Nov. 4, 2014 general election. She credits her personal, professional, and political career to strong backing from parents, an intense concern for education and community, and a deep understanding of the obstacles that Latino parents face.
The Latino and black student population has dwindled greatly in NYC's elite specialized high schools over the last five years, but the next elected mayor could reverse this.
