Over the past few months there has been uproar within the Latino community over the Denver Public Schools’ hiring of the new Superintendent, Tom Boasberg. As concerns with his position and the future of Latino and other minority students within DPS have surfaced once again, I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Superintendent Boasberg to discuss the many questions and concerns the Latino community has had about the educational future of our youth in the DPS system.
Tom Boasberg: I think we are making some progress. There is some good news in terms of the proficiency, achievement and the graduation rate proportions. But there are still extraordinarily sobering numbers in terms of achievement gaps between Latino students and Anglo students – particularly the drop-out rates of Latino students.
I think that your question is a big question because it involves a lot of different things, so I will try to answer it a succinctly as possible. I think it starts at the beginning with offering opportunities for youngsters – to enhance the opportunities for four-year-olds to attend preschool and the opportunities for five-year-olds to attend kindergarten. So right from the beginning we can begin to narrow the opportunity gap that exists between low income students or students who may not speak English at home and more affluent students. We have increased our
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Deported U.S. Veterans create art on border wall
“They released me like a baboon into the wild,” said Murillo, 35.
His deportation was scheduled for noon, yet it was nearly midnight when he crossed into his country of birth and realized that he had nowhere to go.
The U.S. Navy veteran felt abandoned by the government for which he had ...
President Obama’s visit sparks binational protests
During President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Mexico, hundreds of migrants and rights activists in four cities protested Obama’s deportation policies and called for inclusive, comprehensive immigration reform in the United States.
The Mesoamerican Migrant Movement joined Familia Latina Unida ...
Latinos at higher risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease
It is estimated that Parkinson’s Disease (PD) affects over one million people in the US, with an estimated 60,000 new patients diagnosed each year. Studies reveal that Latinos have higher rates of developing Parkinson’s than other ethnic minority groups, at nearly double the rate. However, ...
Why Guantanamo hunger strike could be the last
SC: Why did you call your memoir "The General"?
AE: Because I was one of a limited number of prisoners at Guantanamo who spoke English, I was often forced to be an "unofficial leader" by guards and interrogators. They nicknamed me "the general."
SC: How were you released?
AE: I was released ...