State of Latino Education

ABOUT THE EVENT

Relive the 2021 State of Latino Education

Latinos for Education presents the State of Latino Education Summit: Reclaiming the Promise of Educational Equity on October 6 and October 7, 2021.

Latinos for Education celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting the first annual State of Latino Education Convening from October 5th - 7th. This year’s theme was Reclaiming the Promise of Educational Equity.

Across the three days, nearly 900 attendees engaged with established and emerging Latino leaders around the policies, practices and advocacy efforts to remove barriers for Latino students and families both nationally and locally. We celebrated education champions and Latino educators for their continued contributions to supporting our communities.

We thank the featured speakers, panelists, award recipients, attendees, and event sponsors for your involvement this year. We invite you to relive the event and stay connected with our work.

About the event

Description

Agenda

National Convening

The National Convening showcased our national advocacy agenda, which focuses on the following key priority areas: Early Childhood Education, Higher Education, Educator Diversity, and adequate COVID19 response for the Latino community.

A summary of the agenda can be found in our Executive Summary. The featured panel included national Latino experts from across the cradle to career continuum. Latinx Teacher Fellow Sophia Gonzalez shared a powerful poem and we celebrated Latinx educators who are making an impact with students and families.

Master of Ceremonies

Enrique Acevedo

Correspondent
60 Minutes

Enrique Acevedo is an Emmy award-winning correspondent on the 60 MINUTES program 60 MINUTES Plus. He is the first Latino correspondent in the 54 year history of 60 Minutes.

Acevedo has reported in English and in Spanish from conflict zones, disasters and world news events, including the drug wars in his native Mexico, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the Boston Marathon bombing and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He also anchored and reported for Noticiero Univision, where he won an Emmy in 2017 for his insightful report on the Amazon rainforest. He began his career writing for the Mexico City newspaper Reforma and his columns have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and El Pais, among other prestigious publications.

Among his high-profile interviews, Acevedo counts President Barack Obama, Melinda Gates, and Kofi Annan. He is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism, which chose his coverage of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan for a top 100 list of news stories it published to commemorate its 100th anniversary. He was awarded the News Literacy Project’s John S. Carroll Journalist Fellow for 2019 for his contributions to the public interest.

Featured Speakers

Angélica M. Infante-Green

RI Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

Angélica Infante-Green has served as the Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education since April 29, 2019. During her first year as Commissioner, she instituted several major efforts to improve K-12 education across the state, most notably leading a comprehensive review of the Providence Public School District. She is now leading the state intervention in the city’s schools to overcome decades of neglect and poor performance.
Prior to joining RIDE, she served as the Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Instructional Support. Infante-Green began her career as a bilingual classroom teacher in the South Bronx. Since leaving the classroom, she has served in a variety of roles focused on improving instruction for all students, particularly multi-lingual learners. She held several leadership positions for the New York City School Department, and she was a member of the first cohort of the Chiefs for Change Future Chiefs program.
As a first-generation American, Infante-Green sees her first day as a teacher as a life-changing moment where she realized her personal calling. Having herself learned English in school, and as the parent of a child with special needs, she has fought to replace a “deficit” view with an “enrichment” view for students who need more. Infante-Green earned an M.A. in Education and in School Administration & Supervision from Mercy College. She is married with a son and daughter.

Dr. Carlos E. Santiago

MA Commissioner of Higher Education

Dr. Carlos E. Santiago was appointed Commissioner of Higher Education on July 1, 2015, by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) during the administration of Governor Charlie Baker. The Commissioner serves as the State Higher Education Executive Officer (SHEEO) for the Commonwealth. He works closely with the leadership of the three segments of public higher education: the community colleges, State Universities, and the University of Massachusetts. The DHE also has broad oversight over independent institutions, including closure, consolidation, and merger processes.

The first Puerto Rican president of a major U.S. research university, Dr. Santiago previously served as the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and has also served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY).

Dr. Santiago was a professor of economics at UWM and SUNY-Albany and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University. He is also the author or co-author of six books and has published dozens of articles. Dr. Santiago was recently selected to serve a term as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO); was named to the board of the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); and named to the Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Museum of African American Culture and History. On two separate occasions, in 1996 and 2011, Santiago has been named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States by Hispanic Business magazine.

Miriam Calderon

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy and Early Learning, U.S. Department of Education

In the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Learning, Miriam Calderon plays a leadership role within the Department and across the administration to advance the Biden-Harris early childhood agenda. She joined the administration after serving as the Early Learning System Director for the state of Oregon since 2017. In this capacity she led the state’s early learning agency, including shaping and implementing the state’s largest expansion of early childhood education. She previously served in the Obama-Biden Administration advising on early learning policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Domestic Policy Council. She has held key positions that allowed her to impact the early childhood system in her hometown of Washington, D.C. As the Senior Director of Early Learning for the Bainum Family Foundation, she launched a new investment strategy to improve the city’s birth to three system and implemented universal preschool in the city’s schools, while serving as the Director of Early Childhood Education for DC public schools. Calderon worked as associate director for education policy at the National Council of La Raza (now UnidosUS), and as an advisor to the Build Initiative, focusing on policies that improve early childhood services for Latino, dual language learner, and immigrant children and families. She started her career working as a bilingual mental health consultant in Head Start programs. She is a mom of twins and holds degrees from the University of Delaware and Portland State University.

Haydee Rodriguez

CA State Board of Education Member

In 2014, Rodriguez was appointed by Governor Brown to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, where she chaired the Educator Preparation Committee and served as liaison to the Committee on Accreditation. She also served on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards from 2009 until 2017. In addition, she has served on the NPBTS’ Standards Committee for Social Studies/History, the CAEP Commission and the NEA’s Commission on Transforming Teaching.
Haydee has received various awards and fellowships. In 2016, she was named Stanford GSE Alumni of Excellence. She was also named Woman of the Year by both her Assembly member, Eduardo Garcia (2016), and state Senator Ben Hueso (2020) for her commitment to equity, access and social justice in education. In 2001, she received the Governor’s Teaching Fellowship, and was named NCSS Student Teacher of the Year. In 2008, she was named ACSA of Imperial County Teacher of the Year, and was selected by Rotary International to represent Southern California in Ghana and Togo.
As an International Leader in Education (ILEP), she represented the U.S. State Department for a month as an educational ambassador in Brazil. She was also sponsored by the Transatlantic Outreach Program to visit East and West Germany to study their educational system, apprentice programs and opportunities for immigrants.
Haydee Rodriguez was chosen as the first teacher in California to participate in the US Institute of Peace’s (USIP) Peace Teacher’s Program, representing the entire West Coast during the 2021-2022 school year in this prestigious nationwide program. Haydee was born in Mexicali, BC and lives in El Centro, California.

Adelante Award Recipients

Marjorie Pita

Pre-K teacher,
Rafael Hernández School (Boston)

Marjorie is a Pre-K teacher at the Rafael Hernández School, the first dual-language program in the city of Boston (1970) and in Massachusetts. She is also an Associate Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she teaches a course on language development and literacy for graduate students and supervises future Early Childhood educators in their practicums throughout the state.

With more than 20 years of experience in the educational field, her passion for education started in 2000 in Panama, where she had her first opportunity as an educator, teaching Italian to Kindergartners at the Enrico Fermi Institute, the same school where she completed her High School education. Since that initial experience, Marjorie has had the privilege to teach both overseas and in the United States in multiple settings to a variety of student ages, teach English to immigrants in the state of New Jersey, and facilitate a federally funded program to educate adolescents about STDs and safe-sex practices.

In the midst of both a double pandemic (COVID-19 & racial discrimination), Marjorie in collaboration with two of her school colleagues, decided to take action on something that was in their control and created a YouTube channel targeted mainly for Spanish speaking families and educators in bilingual settings to support them through the use of technology and platforms during remote learning instruction. As an Alum of Latinos for Education’s Latinx Teachers Fellowship, she got inspired and decided to look for more opportunities in leadership in her district, while remaining a full-time teacher in the classroom. Marjorie is part of the Women Educator of Color Executive Coaching Program and a Teacher National Board Certification Candidate. As a teacher enthusiast, Marjorie's goal is to be one of the voices of change and improvement in our education system advocating for policies that will better serve all students.

Dulce Negreros

Founding School Leader, KIPP Mosaic Academy (Houston)

Dulce Negreros is a Houston-born Latina and the founding School Leader of KIPP Mosaic Academy, a growing campus on the southwest side of Houston focused on the values of connection, curiosity, resilience, and revolutionary love. Prior to the Fisher Fellowship, Dulce was an Assistant Principal and a Teacher for KIPP Texas Public Schools. Her journey as an educator began in 2011 when she joined Teach for America and taught biology at Sharpstown High School in Houston ISD. She graduated from University of Texas at Austin with a degree in neurobiology and attended the University of Houston for her master’s degree in education. Her aspiration is to help lift the voices of Latine students and educators across the greater Houston area. During her free time, she likes reading books that center BIPOC voices, going for a run with her dog, or spending time with her family.

Houston Convening (English)

At the State of Latino Education Summit in Houston, participants will engaged in a discussion about the state of Latino education across America’s fourth largest city and the Lone Star state. Since 2005, there has been an increase of 800,000 Latino students in Texas. For Texas – and our country – to be successful, Latino students must be successful. Join this virtual event to see what Latinos for Education is doing in Houston to increase Latino leadership in education and mobilize leaders and communities. A panel of Texas Superintendents – from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston to Dallas – provided attendees with a front seat to their vision and the initiatives they are spearheading in their major school districts to improve the quality of education Latino students are accessing.

Featured Speakers

Millard House II

Superintendent,
Houston ISD

Dr. Michael Hinojosa

Superintendent,
Dallas ISD

Dr. Sylvia Guerra Rios

Superintendent,
Laredo ISD

For over 40 years, Dr. Sylvia Guerra Rios has been a fervent advocate for children and educators throughout her career as a secondary math and English classroom teacher, high school principal, central office administrator, Region One Education Service Center Administrator for Curriculum and Instruction, and Superintendent. Her multi-faceted experience in the field of education has led her to leadership positions in both small and large school districts, including LISD, where she was unanimously named superintendent on July 19, 2017, by the LISD Board of Trustees.
As Superintendent of LISD, Dr. Rios oversees 4,000 employees, and 24,500 students in 20 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, one magnet school, three early college high schools, two early college academies, an alternative education setting, and a non-traditional high school.
Under her leadership, the district has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Texas Education Agency for consistent academic achievements in LISD’s classrooms. This has resulted in eight LISD campuses being named National Blue Ribbon Schools award winners.
Because of the district’s accomplishments, she has been invited to address educators at the Texas Association of School Boards and Texas Association of School Administrators annual conferences.
The City of Laredo selected her to the 2018 Laredo Commission for Women Hall of Fame.
Dr. Rios began her career as an educator after graduating from Hebbronville High School in 1973 as the class valedictorian, alongside her twin sister Cynthia, the class salutatorian. Continuing her studies at Texas A&I University in Kingsville, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977, majoring in secondary English and mathematics.
In 1986, she completed a master’s degree in secondary education Texas A&I University Kingsville, as well as certification in school administration, followed by superintendent certification in 1995.
She was principal at J. W. Nixon High School from 2001 to 2007. Prior to being named Superintendent, Dr. Rios also served as LISD’s Chief Academic Officer for Curriculum, Instructional and Assessment.
Pursuing her doctoral studies at Texas A&M University-College Station, Dr. Rios earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in 2012.
Dr. Rios and her husband, Jose Leonel Rios, are the proud parents of three sons and two grandsons.

Massachusetts Convening

The Massachusetts Convening focused on Educator Diversity and celebrated legislative champions who are leading efforts to increase the representation of educators of color. We discussed why educator diversity matters and how the Commonwealth is at the forefront of making prominent change that could be replicated in other states with the Educator Diversity Act. Legislators also recognized Latino education leaders in their districts who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic.

Master of Ceremonies

Jeffrey Sanchez

Former House Way and Means Chair,
Sanchez Strategies

Featured Speakers

Rosalin Acosta

MA Secretary of Labor and Workforce
Development

In her
role, Secretary Acosta manages the Commonwealth’s
workforce development and labor departments to ensure that
workers, employers, and the unemployed have the tools,
training, and safety resources needed to succeed in the
Massachusetts economy. Secretary Acosta also Chairs the
Workforce Skills Cabinet alongside the Secretary of Education
and the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development.
Prior to joining the Baker-Polito Administration, she was a
widely respected financial and banking service professional with
over thirty years of experience in Greater Boston financial
institutions. Secretary Acosta was a Director and Planning
Committee Member of the Merrimack Valley Workforce
Investment Board and was appointed a Northern Essex
Community College Trustee by Governor Baker. She has been
named one of Boston’s Most Influential Women by the Women
of Harvard Club and El Planeta’s Top 100 Most Influential
Hispanics in Massachusetts. She has also been awarded the
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Latino
Professionals for America (ALPFA). Born in Cuba, she earned a
Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in Connecticut where
she was a member of the Women’s Varsity Ice Hockey Team.
She is the proud mother of five children. For more information
on Secretary Acosta’s role overseeing the Executive Office of
Labor and Workforce Development in Massachusetts
visit mass.gov/lwd

Jeffrey Riley

MA Commissioner of Education

Jeffrey C. Riley was appointed Massachusetts' 24th commissioner of elementary and secondary education in early 2018 and began serving as commissioner on April 5, 2018. A Massachusetts native, Mr. Riley's experience spans urban and suburban districts and includes teaching in Baltimore, Md., being principal of Tyngsboro Middle School, and being principal of Boston's Edwards Middle School. In January 2012, Commissioner Riley was appointed superintendent/receiver of the Lawrence Public Schools. During his more than six years there, he led a team that brought major improvements by shifting more resources and autonomy to the school level, expanding the school day, increasing enrichment opportunities, and ensuring all schools had great leaders and teachers.
Commissioner Riley lives in Boston and holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Pomona College in California, a master's degree in counseling from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and a master's degree in school administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University.

Chyna Tyler

MA State Representative
Chair, MA Black & Latino Legislative Caucus

Chynah Tyler was born and raised in Roxbury, MA which established a special place in her heart for the district. She credits programs offered to her as a child with the authentic sense of pride she feels as a Roxbury native. That pride is what encourages her to represent the residents of Boston.

After earning her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Law, Policy, and Society from Northeastern University, she began her career as a Case Manager for Federal Inmates assisting those nearing release with securing employment, housing, and community support. From that experience, she grew to understand the importance of state government in delivering valuable resources to the most vulnerable populations.

In 2016, at just 26 years old, Tyler ran a successful campaign to succeed long-time incumbent for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 7th Suffolk District. She is currently serving her fourth term as a Massachusetts State Representative, and is the Vice-Chair of Judiciary, and Chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.

Frank Moran

MA State Representative
House Leader

Houston Convening (Español)

La participación de la familia es un componente fundamental del éxito de los estudiantes. Durante este evento Latinos for Education presentó una agenda de educación latina dirigida por familias. Además, un panel de expertos discutió estrategias efectivas para involucrar a las familias latinas, a fin de mejorar la calidad de la educación a la que acceden los niños latinos.

Family engagement is a critical component of student success. During this Spanish-dominant, evening event, Latinos for Education unveiled a family-led, Latino education agenda. In addition, a panel of experts discussed effective strategies for engaging Latino families to improve educational outcomes of Latino children.

Panelistas Invitadas

Judith Cruz

Fideicomisaria de la Mesa Directiva,
Houston ISD

Judith Cruz es nativa de Texas y creció en un hogar bilingüe de habla hispana. Ella es latina y su madre es de Guatemala. Judith ha vivido en Houston durante dieciocho años y actualmente reside en el Distrito VIII de Houston ISD (Distrito Escolar de Houston), en Eastwood con su esposo y sus tres hijos. Los tres hijos de Judith asisten a escuelas en el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston. Su esposo creció en el área Este y es un producto de las escuelas del HISD.

Judith recibió una licenciatura en estudios latinoamericanos de la Universidad de Texas en Austin y una maestría en currículo e instrucción, y educación especial bilingüe de la Universidad George Washington. Tiene más de veinte años de experiencia como educadora y voluntaria en escuelas públicas. Comenzó su carrera en Teach for America, y continuó enseñando durante una década. Enseñó en Wisdom High School en el Distrito Escolar de Houston, y posteriormente fue parte del equipo que creó y comenzó Liberty High School en Gulfton (para estudiantes no tradicionales), donde fue maestra fundadora.

Se desempeñó en varios comités del Distrito Escolar de Houston, incluído el Comité Asesor de Padres, del Superintendente del Distrito Escolar de Houston (HISD) y el Comité de Toma de Decisiones Compartidas (SDMC) de la escuela de su vecindario. Judith co-fundó y fue presidenta de la Asociación de Padres de Familia (PTA), también en la escuela de su vecindario, Lantrip Elementary. Ha servido en su comunidad como miembro de la Junta Directiva de la Asociación Cívica de Eastwood y en la Junta Directiva de Houston A + Challenge. Más recientemente, trabajó en DiscoverU, una organización sin fines de lucro de Houston cuya misión es ampliar la cosmovisión de los jóvenes desatendidos a través de experiencias de aprendizaje vivencial. En DiscoverU, Judith supervisó la expansión del programa a las escuelas intermedias, y desarrolló la participación de los padres, los voluntarios y los programas de exalumnos.

Actualmente es consultora de su propia empresa (LLC), se desempeña como fideicomisaria del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston y es la segunda vicepresidenta de la Junta de Fideicomisarios.

Margarita Tovar

Enlace del Mejoramiento Escolar,
Corsicana ISD

Margarita Tovar es una educadora dedicada e hija de inmigrantes mexicanos. Creció en Monterrey, Méjico, llegó a los Estados Unidos a una edad temprana, y comprendió el regalo de la oportunidad que Estados Unidos brinda a través de la educación, cuando se le brindan las herramientas y los recursos adecuados. Al darse cuenta de que las escuelas efectivas son el gran equilibrador para combatir la pobreza, comenzó su carrera como asistente de maestra en Farias Early Childhood Center, en el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston y luego se desempeñó en varias funciones educativas, incluidas la de maestra, maestra especialista, subdirectora y directora. Jugó un papel decisivo en la dirección de la Escuela Primaria Dogan, ubicada en el corazón del histórico quinto distrito de Houston, que salió del estado de Mejora requerida (IR) en 2017, y transformó la cultura del campus para cambiar la narrativa de lo que es posible en una escuela históricamente de bajo rendimiento.

Tovar comprende la importancia de la defensa de las comunidades marginadas y el poder de educar, equipar y empoderar a los educadores, estudiantes, y partes interesadas para que sean miembros contribuyentes de una sociedad global productiva y equitativa. Actualmente, Tovar se desempeña como Enlace de Mejoramiento Escolar para el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Corsicana, donde entrena y apoya a los campus y directores que requieren Mejoramiento.

A través de su trabajo en diferentes capacidades, distritos y experiencias de primera mano, ha desarrollado la urgencia de abordar la alfabetización en áreas de alta pobreza, y combatir el camino de la escuela a la prisión en un campus a la vez. Su lema es "Mejorar las escuelas para cerrar las cárceles". Tovar tiene un título de asociado de Houston Community College, una licenciatura de la Universidad de Houston-Downtown, una maestría en Administración Educativa de la Universidad Bautista de Houston, y actualmente está cursando su doctorado en la Universidad de Houston con un enfoque en la Administración educativa de K-12.

Candice Castillo

Directora Ejecutiva de Equidad y Difusión, Houston ISD

Candice Castillo actualmente se desempeña como Oficial Ejecutiva de Servicios de Apoyo Estudiantil en el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston. Ella es responsable de la supervisión y liderazgo estratégico de programas y servicios no-académicos tales como Servicios Integrados (Wraparound), Participación Activa de las Familias y la Comunidad (FACE), Bienestar Socioemocional y consejería, Servicios de Salud, Atletismo, Equidad y Divulgación, entre otros.

Su amplia experiencia interactuando con audiencias multiculturales y multifuncionales y desarrollando comunicaciones bilingües (inglés-español) en diversos entornos ha alimentado su pasión por empoderar a las comunidades y familias para ayudar a sus hijos a tener éxito en la escuela y en la vida, lo que también hace a través del voluntariado activo en la comunidad.

Candice sirvió tres años como presidente de la Delegación de Houston de la Asociación de Profesionales Hispanos (PROSPANICA por sus siglas en inglés), una organización nacional enfocada en empoderar y abogar por la educación superior y el avance del liderazgo hispano. Candice fue la quinta mujer presidente de Prospanica Houston y la primera afrolatina en liderar la delegación. Durante su primer mandato como presidente, llevó al grupo a lograr el reconocimiento nacional de Delegación del Año en 2018, un honor que obtiene la delegación con mayor rendimiento de las 48 delegaciones que forman parte de la organización. También fue reconocida con el Premio a la Excelencia en Liderazgo por demostrar un liderazgo ejemplar y lideró a Prospanica Houston a ganar el Premio a la Excelencia en Alcance Comunitario por proporcionar eventos enfocados en el desarrollo educativo.

Candice nació y se crio en la Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá, cuenta con una licenciatura en administración de empresas, una maestría en gerencia global y actualmente está cursando estudios de doctorado en educación enfocado en liderazgo ético en la University of St. Thomas, Houston.

Lead Sponsor

Ignite Sponsor

Inspire Sponsors

If your company or organization is interested in sponsoring the State of Latino Education, CLICK HERE for more information about our sponsorship benefits. Contact Feliza Ortiz-Licon with any questions at Feliza@latinosforeducation.org

ABOUT THE EVENT

Relive the 2021 State of Latino Education

National Convening

Master of Ceremonies

Featured Speakers

Adelante Award Recipients

Houston Convening (English)

Featured Speakers

Massachusetts Convening

Master of Ceremonies

Featured Speakers

Houston Convening (Español)

Panelistas Invitadas

Lead Sponsor

Ignite Sponsor

Inspire Sponsors

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