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Latino Community
Forum:
Latino
parents uniting and winning a future worth fighting for
Submitted by
Ramón Pérez
On Monday, October 31st, 2011, members of the
Latino Community Forum (LCF) met with Dr. Jerome Pecko,
Superintendent of Toledo Public Schools, Gayle Schaber,
Director of English as a Second Language, and José Luna,
the TPS Hispanic Outreach Coordinator.
The meeting was called to inform TPS officials of their
failure to comply with federal law requirements regarding
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Title III funding. TPS
receives federal funding under Title III annually to provide
additional services to ensure the academic success of Limited
English students.
Prior to this meeting the Latino Community Forum held
community meetings and completed various forms of community
outreach, including door-to-door canvassing. This outreach
found that ‘quality of education’ was the number one concern of
the Forum’s constituents.
To address this concern, members participated in
educational-rights trainings, particularly addressing the rights
of parents and children regarding TPS’s Limited English
Proficient program and funding requirements as described by
Title III.
The training revealed that many parents were not properly
communicated with regarding their students’ enrollment,
progress, and experiences in LEP classes. To further investigate
the issue, parents obtained copies of their children’s academic
files, which further revealed the lack of required documents.
These issues were addressed with TPS officials at the October
31st meeting.
As a result of this meeting, Mrs. Schaber committed that by
February 2012, TPS would implement proper communication with
parents of Limited English Proficient students, including
descriptions of LEP academic programs, policies for enrolling
students into LEP classes, ways to give feedback regarding LEP
policies and procedures, and how to help their children meet
academic content standards.
Mrs. Schaber also stated that by February 2012, she would
organize a presentation by a current ESL teacher that would
inform parents the significance of TPS’s ESL academic
instruction models. Her commitment to comply with Title III
requirements was well received by members of the Latino
Community Forum.
An active parent from the Forum stated: “As a mother and as a
member of LCF, I hope that Toledo Public Schools listens to our
concerns related to our children’s education and wellness. We
hope TPS will follow the agreements established in our meeting
on October 31st at the Sofia Quintero Art and Cultural Center.”
The Director of ESL also mentioned having already implemented
trainings for the secretaries of TPS schools regarding how to
properly assist parents who are enrolling their children into
ESL classes. Unfortunately feedback from parents during the
meeting revealed that some secretaries are still not helping
parents through the ESL process. Mrs. Schaber mentioned
re-addressing the issue at an upcoming secretary training.
Moving forward, the committee is hopeful that ESL Director Gayle
Schaber will lead and ensure system-wide and complete compliance
with Title III LEP requirements, including programming, parental
notifications, and parental involvement, and that the TPS
officials will meet the needs of all LEP families district-wide,
not just for those in attendance.
Sincerely,
Members of the Latino Community Forum
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