Background Data
     - Latino Students in the Worcester Public Schools
     - Latinos in Worcester: Demographic and Education Profiles
     - The State of Latinos and Education in Massachusetts: 2010
     - Youth Voices: Latino Student Achievement

The Worcester Mayoral Commission for Latino Educational Excellence

Community-Based Roots

Latino community organizations and leaders conceived of and advocated for the development of a Commission for Latino Educational Excellence.  The expectation is that the Commission will bring attention, talent, and clout to efforts promoting Latino educational excellence in Worcester.

The impetus for this effort is simple; we recognize the dire need to reverse the underachievement of Latino students in the Worcester Public School system.  Consider that in the city of Worcester the public school system serves over 23,000 students in the K-12 system.  Approximately 39% of this enrollment is comprised of Latino youth.   It is documented that these youth have the poorest educational outcomes of all subgroups in the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) as measured by their 60% high school graduation rate, MCAS scores, and other indicators.

To combat this trend, community leaders borrowed from a national model that has proven very effective in advancing Latino educational outcomes; the White House Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans has existed since 1990 under the First Bush Administration, Clinton Administration, the Second Bush Administration, and the Obama Administration.  These efforts have proven invaluable in highlighting promising practices in the education of Latino students and broadened the base of stakeholders invested in improving education, including religious organizations, the business community, and families.  The Latino Education Institute has spearheaded the effort to adopt this model in Worcester along with our partners the Worcester Youth Center, Adelante Worcester, and Quinsigamond Community College.

Strong Support from Political Leaders

At the October 20, 2009 Candidates Forum sponsored by Adelante Worcester all the candidates for School Committee  were asked by Adelante Worcester whether they would support the formation of a Commission for Latino Educational Excellence;  all present publically supported the idea.   Subsequently, in March of 2010, Mayor Joseph O’Brien and many of the same school committee members were asked at a conference sponsored by the Latino Education Institute and the College of the Holy Cross whether they would endorse the formation of a commission, all answered affirmatively.

The effort to establish a commission was greatly aided when in the fall of 2010, John Monfredo, School Committee member for the Worcester Public Schools, put forth a motion to establish a Commission for Latino Educational Excellence. 

The final credit on the establishment of the Commission belongs to Mayor O’Brien who in December of 2010 formally established the Mayoral Commission on Latino Educational Excellence and empanelled the Commissioners.

Mission

The commission is tasked with examining the underlying causes of the existing education achievement gap between Latino students and their peers, and issuing a report.  In addition, the Commission will provide guidance on effective community outreach and potential partnership programs.

Specifically, the Commission will provide advice to the Mayor and provide a written report on the following.

·     the progress of Latino students enrolled in the Worcester Public Schools, in closing

the academic achievement gap and attaining the goals established by the “No Child Left Behind" educational blueprint and policies related to Race to the Top.

·     the development, monitoring, and coordination of efforts to promote high-quality

education for Hispanic  Students;

·     ways to increase parental, private sector, and community involvement in improving

education; and

·     identification of innovative educational strategies to maximize the effectiveness of 

      education for Hispanic Students.

·     identification of systemic impediments that hinder the effectiveness of educational

initiatives for Hispanic American Students.

The Commission shall terminate 30 days after submitting its final report, unless extended by the Mayor. The Commission meeting schedule is as follows:  2/4/11, 2/18/11, 3/4/11, 3/18/11, and 4/1/11.  The Executive Committee along with experts from the Gaston Institute will work on a draft report in April and May.  Commission members will receive a draft report for feedback two weeks prior to the resumption of meetings to take place on 5/27/11.  The Commission will refine the report on 5/27/11 and 6/10/11.  A public release of the report will take place during the week of 6/19/11. 

Members

The Commission is chaired by Dr. Gail Carberry, President of Quinsigamond Community College and Mary Jo Marion, Executive Director of the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State College.  The following is a list of Commissioners.

Melinda Boone	Superintendent, Worcester Public Schools
Mark Bilotta	Colleges of Worcester Consortium
Gail Carberry	Quinsigamond Community College
Jennifer Davis Carey	Worcester Educational Collaborative
Matilde Castiel	UMass Memorial/Latin American Health Alliance
Edith Claros	MA College of Pharmacy & Healthy Sciences
Maritza Cruz	Adelante Worcester, Hispanic/Latinos of Central MA
Monica Escobar Lowell	UMass Memorial Health Care
Deborah Gonzalez	Quinsigamond Community College
Paul Hernandez	Edward Kennedy Health Center
Jason Irizarry	University of Connecticut
Miguel Lopez	Adelante Worcester, Hispanic/Latinos of Central MA
Mary Jo Marion	Latino Education Institute WSU
Judith McGuire Robinson	Anna Maria College
Sandra Medina-Vazquez	Parent Liaison
Ramon Borges-Mendez	Clark University
John Monfredo	WPS School Committee
Jeffrey Mulqueen	Chief Academic Officer - Worcester Public Schools
Tracy Novick	WPS School Committee
Niurka Ortiz	Radio Sol
O. Daisy Rivera	Worcester Juvenile Court, Probation Department
Sergio Paez	Worcester Public Schools
David Perda	Chief Research and Accountability Officer - Worcester Public Schools
Margarita Perez	Worcester State Universit, Education Faculty Member
Hilda Ramirez	Worcester Youth Center
Sarai Rivera	Christian Community Church
Carmen Rosado	Worcester Public Schools
Mario Silva-Rosa	Assumption College,Director of Undergraduate Admission
Cynthia Stone	College of Holy Cross
Jeff Turgeon	Central Mass Workforce Investment Board
Marcela Uribe-Jennings	Worcester State University, Multicultural Affairs

Additional Information

The web page includes research and presentations conducted on behalf of the Commission as well as meeting agendas and minutes.  For additional information about the Commission contact Mary Jo Marion at 508 798 6507.

Acknowledgements

As of March 2011, this effort has been funded entirely by external contributors.  We would like to thank Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, MA College of Pharmacy & Healthy Sciences – Worcester, Quinsigamond Community College, University of Massachusetts Medical School and Worcester State University for their generous contributions in support of improving Latino student achievement in Worcester.

We would also like to acknowledge the contributions from the Office of Congressman Jim McGovern an in particular, Gladys Rodriguez-Parker for her guidance, expertise and determination in launching this effort.