An educational forum will try to inform Latino parents how their children are doing in the San Diego Unified School District.

    The main goal of the forum, which will take place on Saturday, May 14, at 9 a.m., at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center, in San Diego, is “to openly and candidly discuss the Latino condition in San Diego Unified,” said in a statement the organizers.

    At the forum, educators and analysts will discuss with parents what they current state is, what schools can do, and how parents can help to improve their children’s education.

    The guest of honor at the forum will be ex-State Senator Gloria Romero, from East Los Angeles, who currently serves as State Director of the Democrats for Education Reform.

    Another educator who will participate include Dr. Alberto Ochoa, who is on the school district superintendent’s Latino advisory committee. Ochoa is a respected expert on Latino education, and he’s been a professor and advócate of bilingual education at San Diego State University.

    Local Latino educators will address the past and present failures of San Diego Unified to address the Latino condition, challenges that lie ahead and proposed solutions.

    The majority of the students enrolled in San Diego City Schools are Latinos, but due to factors such as language and cultural barriers, sometimes they are the ones who are left behind, according to a Latina principal in the district.

    “Unfortunatelly, historically the district hasn’t done justice to these students,” said Consuelo Manriquez, principal at the School of the Arts at San Diego High School. “I don’t see Latino students, as a group, moving forward. In fact, they haven’t moved forward whatsoever.”

    The San Diego Unified School District faces major budget cuts for next year. Also, hundreds of teachers have received pink slips for the next school year. This will affect Latino students the most, Manriquez said.

    The forum, which is being sponsored by and the Mexican-American Business and Professional Association (MABPA), will include childcare, breakfast, and Spanish-language interpretation.

    “We are inviting you to learn more about this vitally important issue,” state organizers. “Your attendance and participation will be greatly appreciated as we address the future academic success of Latino children in San Diego Unified.”

    The Jacobs Center is located at 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego.