The recent revelation that a high number of schools in our community are low-performance schools is a travesty. On the list are Bryant Elementary, Cesar Chavez Elementary, Everett Middle School, Horace Mann Middle School, Mission High, and John O’Connell Alternative High. Basically, low-performance means that students in these schools are not learning at a level that meets state educational requirements as shown from low scores on standardized tests. What is troubling is how did we get to this point in the first place? There has been an ongoing concern that schools in the Mission have always been a dumping ground for inexperienced teachers and that low-income neighborhoods usually get little resources to support efforts toward quality instruction. In fact, it has been a common practice for some instructors in our community to spend their own money for needed school supplies and other school-related resources. Then there is the issue of standardized tests that are culturally insensitive, thus creating a bias and a sure bet for failure. So, now the call is to implement desperate measures like closing schools, revamping instruction and staff, and/or creating charter schools. The schools in question are ordered to make a choice before the Fall 2010 school year begins. In doing so, they become eligible for up to $2 million in federal funding annually over the next three years to help improve the situation. Well, this may be a quick fix, but will it foster a long-term solution, especially if little fiscal resources continue to plague our schools beyond the three years? Although everyone seems to declare that education is our highest priority, the reality is far from the truth – just read the newspaper headlines about continuing cuts in education year after year after year. The students in our community are not the failures. It is the nations leaders that fail them by not providing our students the needed fiscal resources to ensure quality instruction.

With the recent passage of the Health Care Reform bill, President Barack Obama can take pride in achieving something that has been long overdue – an attempt to insure health care for those who can least afford it. But, now a new challenge lies at the doorstep of the White House – a fair and just immigration reform plan. For the millions that marched nationwide in 2006 and recently on the nation’s Capitol calling for immigration reform, the urgency to take immediate action is ever pressing. Mr. President, you cannot afford to tip-toe through this most critical issue. You have said that immigration reform is your next challenge, but it must be swift. Latinos and the nation have waited far too long for a just policy that is humane. So, don’t take Latinos lightly. Lest you forget that the Latino vote was a factor in some states during the last general election. Although during your candidacy you failed to significantly address Latino issues, now is the time to make amends and address the failings of the nation’s immigration policy and move forward to do the right thing, especially when it comes to the treatment of undocumented workers, citizenship opportunities, and needed services, just to name a few. We, Latinos are waiting Mr. President. Don’t fail the nation and us.

On a similar note, I recently had the great pleasure of seeing the first ever musical on the life of farm worker labor leader Cesar Chavez. “Let the Eagle Fly” was a brilliant production under the direction of Richard Falcon that captured the spirit and passion of a movement for workers rights. The two-and-one-half hour production at the San Jose City College Theater was truly a touching tribute that had many in the audience tearing up periodically throughout the performance. Aside from this, one really learned a lot about Cesar and the farm worker movement he led. Although my intent here is not to give you a full review of the show, I do want mention that March 31 was its last showing. Unfortunately, according to Falcon, there are no funds to take the production on tour nationally. Cesar is already nationally recognized – schools and streets bare his name, there are state holidays in his honor, and President Obama paid tribute to Cesar with a national proclamation on March 31. So, “Let the Eagle Fly” needs national exposure, especially when at one point the state of Texas was moving toward banning any mention of Cesar in the state’s history books. Let the nation’s children learn about the country’s diverse leaders and heroes. I hope someday “Let the Eagle Fly” can truly spread its wings across this land. ¡Si Se Puede!

Lastly, I just want to mention that the passing of Jaime Escalante of “Stand Deliver.” Escalante passed away on March 30 from coronary and respiratory failure, precipitated by cancer. The 79-year-old Escalante was a native of La Paz, Bolivia, and the son of two elementary-school teachers. Escalante came to U.S. in 1963 at age 33. Although he was already an accomplished and popular science and mathematics teacher in Bolivia, he spoke almost no English and had to return to school to become a certified teacher in California. Arriving at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, Escalante encountered a culture of low expectations, gang activity and administrative apathy. His success in overcoming these odds and in enabling “unteachable” students to master advanced mathematics made him a national and international hero that led to the 1988 movie “Stand and Deliver.” In his honor, you can make a donation to the Jaime Escalante Legacy Project at 236 West Mountain Street, Suite 105, Pasadena CA 91103.