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Monday, February 01, 2010

Splitting APS Won't Bridge the Latino Achievement Gap

By Dr. Joe L. Valles
Member, Latino Education Task Force
          Dan Serrano's op-ed "New District Would Address Achievement Gap" is disingenuous and doesn't meaningfully address either graduation rates or the achievement gap.
        A compelling argument for splitting Albuquerque Public Schools simply hasn't been made. Anyone can gerrymander boundaries for a study to conclude that APS can be split — but should it?
        Simply arguing APS is too large also falls short — small school districts fail miserably, too. The implied widespread support doesn't exist. Besides, APS has measurably turned the corner in addressing West Side infrastructure needs. We don't need to fight another large school district to get what APS is finally committed to do.
        But more disturbing — carving out a relatively affluent and high-achieving area and omitting entirely the predominantly Hispanic southwest area of the city where school achievement is lowest and needs are greatest — is segregation by any other name.
        That Serrano's ABQPASS organization, committed to creating a new West Side school district, abruptly veils the APS split with the Latino Education Improvement Task Force's mission to eradicate the Latino achievement gap is basically dishonest, opportunistic and insincere. There's no history of Latino achievement activism by anyone principally involved — no specific legislation introduced at the Roundhouse by Sen. Bernadette Sanchez, at the APS board by Robert Lucero or anything by Laura Horton, vice-president of the West Side Coalition.
        Coupled with our current economic crisis, it's a pending disaster for our state.
        Our school systems fail to graduate 46 percent of the majority student population. Latinos comprise 56 percent of the state's students.
        Continuing the same path to incremental change without eliminating this travesty spells doom for any significant Latino participation in future economic and educational development. And like it or not, all taxpayers will pay innumerably for it in the future. Eliminating the academic gap requires much more than splitting one large school district into two large ones.
        Studies show that only a few things improve education: involved parents, well-prepared and motivated teachers, mentors and charismatic, knowledgeable and committed administrators — a mutually respectful community working together.
        Parents must read and work with their children, limit entertainment media and teach values of respect, hard work and discipline. Students have to be well fed, free of neglect and abuse, and motivated to accept the value of education. Finally, it takes recognition of the problem and the will from the top echelons of government, universities and the business and communications sector to make the institutional changes required to construct an environment to solve it.
        Serrano offered no road map to meet these goals.
        Years back we approached the governor and Education Secretary Veronica Garcia about a split feasibility study, inclusive of all the West Side. By 'cherry-picking' a higher socioeconomic district north of Central Avenue with three high school clusters, two of them high performers, the new school district's achievement numbers instantly look better on paper. APS' numbers, on the other hand, go down. It's a convenient way to peddle immediate improvements.
        But leaving out of the proposed district a major (and poorer) segment of the West Side's student population helps them how exactly? And why place this initiative at the forefront now, when it detracts from the upcoming school bond election, jeopardizing our students' infrastructure needs? (It's) political posturing or perhaps timed to pressure a distressed Legislature, a busy governor and education secretary into accepting this unproven and ill-advised plan.
        Getting two new high schools and related feeder schools built on the West Side was a major accomplishment and turning point for APS. It didn't happen because of self-serving proclamations by APS board members or APS' ready willingness, but because the greater community convinced the governor, the education secretary and legislators that equity demanded building two high schools concurrently. Despite relentless criticism, to his credit, Gov. Bill Richardson indisputably had an enormous impact on West Side transportation and school infrastructure improvements.
        Serrano signed the document submitted to Secretary Garcia calling for the APS split on behalf of the West Side Coalition. Unfortunately for Serrano, the coalition has never taken a position on the split. Moreover, the South West Alliance of Neighbors comprising neighborhood associations south of the proposed split boundary opposes it.
        Without an overwhelming groundswell of support, it's doubtful the governor and education secretary will accept an initiative that is divisive, demeaning and counterproductive; that's an assault on what we all want — the pursuit of Latino excellence and equity in education for all students.
       

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