La Prensa San Diego

Senator Alex Padilla Named Chair, Pledges to Reform Broken System SACRAMENTO — Senator Alex Padilla announced today that he has been named Chair of the newly created Senate Select Committee on English Learners. The committee will focus its efforts on how to improve the academic success of Cal-ifornia’s 1.5 million English Learner students. The committee [...]

In 2004, the University of California, San Diego Libraries acquired one of the region’s most significant archives—the papers of Chicano activist Herman Baca— documenting the struggles and achievements of the Chicano Movement in San Diego from 1964 to 2006. Thanks to a $56,000 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the UC [...]

Comentario: Por Humberto Caspa, Ph.D. Esta semana, la Corte Suprema de Justicia decidió, a través de Fisher v. University of Texas, volver a poner en las primeras páginas una de las grandes disyuntivas políticas de la sociedad norteamericana. Fisher v. University of Texas contempla a la Acción Afirmativa, cuyas ramificaciones ha sido solemnizada por muchos [...]

Hilltop Middle teacher incorporates iPad into daily classroom activities  In Benjamin Black’s 8th grade science class at Hilltop Middle School, students don’t get ready for class by sharpening their pencils, opening their textbooks and preparing to take notes. Instead, they reach for their iPads, power up their devices and make sure that they are logged [...]

Commentary: By Dr. Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto  José Díaz-Balart, chief political analyst for Telemundo, had one important task during the September 7, 2011, Republican debate—to ask the candidates about immigration. Díaz-Balart asked his question, got his answer and was dismissed from the stage. The stereotype was fulfilled; a Latino asked one question and the one [...]

Commentary: By Rodolfo F. Acuña For the past six years or so I have heard constant threats from Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne (Canada) and Superintendent of Schools John Huppenthal (Indiana) that they were going to ban, destroy and wipe out Mexican American Studies, as well as Occupied America. Now after disregarding a $177,000 report [...]

U.S. Department of Education officials are considering a request by the 21 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to investigate allegations of civil-rights violations by Arizona’s enforcement of a new law barring racially divisive classes. U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat who is a caucus member, said he had spoken Friday with the caucus [...]

 Commentary: By Rodolfo F. Acuña Teresa Wiltz in America’s Wire writes that despite claims of increased educational opportunities for minorities that the performance of black and Latino teenagers remains the same or lower than 30 years ago. In fact, the math and reading performance of black and Latino high school seniors equal that of 13-year-old [...]

By Teresa Wiltz America’s Wire  WASHINGTON— While achievement levels have improved considerably for minority elementary and middle school students, studies show academic performance among high school age African Americans and Hispanics has fallen to levels not seen in thirty years. How prevalent is the achievement gap at the high school level? On average, math and [...]

Guest Editorial: By Arun Ramanathan New America Media  OAKLAND— Around this time every year, millions of parents in California are working through the school enrollment process. Unfortunately, while many don’t have a choice regarding what school their child will attend, those who do often find their options bewildering. My wife and I are both educators [...]

Commentary: By Rodolfo F. Acuña What is missing in the media’s coverage of the elimination of the Tucson Unified School District Mexican American Studies program is that students were learning and they wanted to go to school. I take this shutdown personal. One of the reasons I have stayed in education for over fifty-five years [...]

Arizona’s apartheid war against Mexican American Studies Commentary: By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez Early on the morning of the 7th day, God wrote HB 2281; then he rested. That’s the way conservative Arizonans view this clearly unconstitutional and immoral anti-Ethnic Studies measure. The opponents of Tucson’s Mexican American Studies (MAS) department – who act as [...]

Commentary: By Anna Wong When Steve Jobs passed away, I was admittedly surprised by the public outpour surrounding his death. This not only from people who knew him personally, but also from my friends, who told me how much his life influenced theirs. “My iPhone is the first thing I pick up in the morning [...]

By Kathy Mulady Equal Voice News  In 2011, for the first time, more Latino students than white students applied for admission to California State University’s 23 campuses. The numbers reflect not only the state’s growing Latino population, but also the impact of early education programs that are paying off with more Latinos graduating from high [...]

By Pablo Jaime Sáinz Several former and current Sweetwater Union High School District officials are being charged in what might be the largest corruption case of its kind in San Diego County’s history. The District Attorney’s office announced on Wednesday, Jan. 4, that criminal charges against five defendants in a wide-ranging public corruption case involving [...]

By Stephanie Espinoza New America Media / South Kern Sol  The following commentary was produced by South Kern Sol, a new, hyperlocal online outlet for youth reporting on community health issues in South Kern County. It is a project of New America Media, and is supported by The California Endowment and The Knight Foundation.  The [...]

The importance of a higher education Commentary: By Frank Solis The cold air was chilly, as I made my way to the store. Outside the entrance was a young Chicano couple asking for spare change. It really hurt to see this because it was right before Christmas and at their age they should be working [...]