Local pre-K seeks Hispanic students in Clarksville, Tennessee

“”It’s going to be hard for him because he understands more Spanish and doesn’t have people in the school to speak Spanish to him even though he needs to learn English,” Rodriguez said, with the help of translator Rosa Ponce, a secretary for the Hispanic Organization for Progress and Education.

Rodriquez is not alone in the struggle ”” a national study by Pre-K Now shows Latinos lack access to quality pre-K programs. In Clarksville, 10 additional preschool classes are being added to the system in 2006-07, and English Language Learners (ELL) and other at-risk students will have first priority.

According to the study “Pre-K and Latinos: The Foundation for America’s Future,” the Hispanic population in Tennessee alone grew 278 percent between 1999 and 2000.”

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