News (Noticias) Tagged ‘dropout rate’

State Farm Insurance ® is empowering Latino students, teachers and administrators today to help solve the dropout rate. Through a $3 million education grant to the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), State Farm will help NCLR in their goals to promote excellence in students, increase Latino graduation rates, and close the achievement gap nationwide. Approximately 2.9 million Latinos are enrolled in U.S. high schools—representing 17% of all secondary public school students—and are less likely than their non-Hispanic peers to complete high school.

The grant, paid over a three-year period, marks the first major contribution to NCLR’s Campaign for Stronger American Communities intended to strengthen the organization’s Affiliates, improve its programmatic outreach, and enhance its effectiveness and impact by strategically focusing financial, human and technical resources in the field on issues of strategic importance to Latino communities across the U.S., such as education. To support this work, NCLR is raising $15 million over the next three years.

“State Farm is a long-time partner of NCLR and has worked with us to strengthen Latino communities by supporting our education programs,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “This latest commitment takes that work to a new level and supports our outreach efforts through our nearly 300 Affiliates. We’re excited by the prospective impact these grants will have on decreasing school dropout rates and building future leaders.” NCLR’s Affiliates reach throughout 41 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

“It’s vital that young members of this growing part of the American community attain the knowledge and skills that will allow them to be full and equal participants in the economy,” said Ed Rust Jr., State Farm Chairman & CEO. “NCLR and State Farm share a vision that begins with making sure our children stay in school and ends with all children achieving their greatest potential.”

The announcement of the grant was made today at a partnership luncheon hosted by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) for State Farm to recognize the long-standing support and contributions made to NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. At the event, held at NCLR Headquarters in Washington, Ms. Murguía recognized Mr. Rust for his corporation’s support of NCLR’s initiatives.

State Farm’s commitment to NCLR spans over a decade, including NCLR’s community efforts, Annual Conference, Capital Awards, the Raul Yzaguirre Building Capital Campaign, and the NCLR ALMA Awards. Barbara Cowden, executive vice president at State Farm, sits on NCLR’s Corporate Board of Advisors and is the Chair of NCLR’s Education Task Force. As an early contributor to NCLR’s “Empowering an American Community” campaign when it was launched in 2002, State Farm’s commitment was a cornerstone in NCLR’s efforts to strengthen its long-term institutional abilities. “Latinos have a growing role in our nation’s future prosperity and well-being. At NCLR, we appreciate having such a dedicated and supportive partner as State Farm in our work to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans,” said Ms. Murguía.

The grant to NCLR is one of State Farm’s major commitments under its “State Farm Es Para Mí™” campaign, which focuses on citizenship, civic engagement and education in the Latino community. Other education elements include a directory of scholarships, internships and fellowships for Latino students and grant applications to non-profit organizations and public schools for 200 grants of $1,000 each (due November 4, 2008). For more information, please call 1-877-564-3119 to find a participating State Farm agent.”

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced that New York City’s four-year high school graduation rate continues to push upward, as it has every year under the Administration. The City’s four-year rate reached a new high of 55.8 percent in 2007, according to data released this morning by the New York State Education Department, with more students earning Regents diplomas and black and Hispanic students narrowing the graduation gap with their white and Asian peers. The State’s rates now include students who met graduation requirements in summer school following their senior year. Excluding these students to allow for comparisons with previous years, the City’s graduation rate has risen 5.7 percentage points since 2005, and 2.4 points since 2006. By comparison, graduation rates Statewide have risen by 2.8 points since 2005 and 1.4 points since 2006. The City’s increases translate into more than 5,000 additional students graduating since 2005. In addition, the City’s dropout rate has declined since 2005 by 3.3 points, to 14.7 percent from 18 percent. The Mayor and Chancellor were joined at Department of Education headquarters in the Tweed Courthouse by Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development Dennis M. Walcott, United Federation of Teachers ( UFT ) President Randi Weingarten, UFT Chief Operating Office Michael Mulgrew, and Council of School Supervisors and Administrators ( CSA ) Executive Vice President Peter McNally.

“The graduation rate is a crucial indicator of whether our school system is fulfilling its core mission - giving our children the skills they need to become successful adults,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “After a decade of near-stagnation, New York City’s graduation rate has climbed significantly since 2002. We clearly need to help larger numbers of students to graduate, but the progress we’ve made so far means that thousands more students are graduating today than would have six years ago.”

“Today’s numbers confirm once again that steady progress is now the rule, not the exception, in New York City’s public schools,” said Chancellor Klein. “Although I’m pleased that the overall graduation rate is continuing to rise, it’s especially encouraging to see that the biggest increases are among our black and Hispanic students. This is further evidence that we’re beginning to close the shameful racial achievement gap in this City.”

Because this is the first year that the State included in its calculation students who graduated in August after their final semester, comparisons to previous years must exclude August graduates. Excluding those students, the City’s four-year graduation rate rose to 52.2 percent in 2007 from 49.8 percent in 2006 and 46.5 percent in 2005. At the same time, the dropout rate fell to 14.7 percent in 2007, down from 15 percent in 2006 and 18 percent in 2005. The five-year graduation rate rose to 59.5 percent in 2007 from 55.7 percent in 2006.

“Today is a day to congratulate teachers, principals, students and parents for all their hard work in keeping the graduation rate going in the right direction,” said UFT President Randi Weingarten. “Tomorrow we must ask ourselves what more can we do to get our kids ready for college, to enter the workforce, to improve their life skills? That’s going to require continued collaboration by everyone with a stake in our kids’ education, and in so doing we will dramatically increase the graduation rates.”

“We are seeing gradual, steady increases in student graduation rates because school leaders, teachers and parents are truly working together to improve student learning and ensure every child receives a quality education,” said CSA Executive Vice President Peter McNally. “Student achievement has always been a priority for school leaders, and while there is still more work to be done, with the proper resources we will continue to make progress.”

The percentage of graduates earning Regents diplomas has increased along with the overall graduation rate. A new high of 69.8 percent of graduates in 2007 earned a Regents diploma, compared to 68.4 percent in 2006 and 64.3 percent in 2005 - a 5.5 percentage point increase over two years. Students must meet more rigorous graduation requirements, including higher scores on their Regents exams, to earn a Regents diploma.

The four-year graduation rate among black and Hispanic students is increasing faster than that of their white and Asian peers. Overall, 47.2 percent of black students in 2007 graduated in four years, compared to 43.5 percent in 2006 and 40.2 percent in 2005. This 7.0 point increase over two years compares to a 4.7 increase among white students and a 4.5 increase among Asian students during the same period. Overall, 43 percent of Hispanic students in 2007 graduated in four years, compared to 41 percent in 2006 and 37.4 percent in 2005, an increase of 5.6 points. Between 2005 and 2007, the gap in the graduation rate between white and black students was reduced by 2.3 percentage points, and the gap between white and Hispanic students was reduced by 0.9 points.

The graduation rate among English Language Learners rose 3.1 points to 23.5 in 2007, after falling from 26.5 percent in 2005 to 20.4 percent in 2006. The graduation rate among special education students rose to 19.8 percent in 2007 from 19.4 percent in 2006 and 17.2 percent in 2005, a two-year increase of 2.6 percentage points.

Beginning this year, the City and the State are using a shared methodology to calculate graduation rates. Previously, the City used its own methodology to calculate the rate. Because this formula remained unchanged since 1986; it is still useful for comparisons over time. Using the City’s formula, the graduation rate rose from 58 percent to 62 percent between 2005 and 2007, an increase that tracks closely to the State’s calculation. Since the Mayor won control of the school system in 2002, the graduation rate has increased 11.2 points, using the City’s methodology, from 50.8 percent to 62 percent. Conversely, the graduation rate had been essentially stagnant over the decade prior to 2002.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stu Loeser / Dawn Walker  ( 212 ) 788-2958

David Cantor  ( Department of Education )
( 212 ) 374-5141″

MOSI HONORS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED MOLECULAR BIOLOGIST AS 2008

NATIONAL HISPANIC SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR

***

www.mosi.org/nationalhispanicscientist.html

Tampa, FL (July 22, 2008) – World-renowned molecular biologist and founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff, has been named MOSI’s (Museum of Science & Industry) 2008 National Hispanic Scientist of the Year.

Mexican American, Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff is deeply committed to the recruitment and retention of minorities in science.  As founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, Villa-Komaroff has served as both a board member and vice president of the organization.  She makes frequent presentations to students of all ages and provides lab research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students.  She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Cytonome, Inc., a company building the first optical cell sorter of human cells for therapeutic use. Villa-Komaroff was a key member of the research team that first demonstrated that bacterial cells could produce insulin, pioneering work that is widely cited in the book “Invisible Frontiers: The Race to Clone the Insulin Gene” by Stephen Hall.

During her 20 year research career, Villa-Komaroff has held positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, University of Massachusetts Medical School and Harvard Medical School.  As a science administrator, she has served as Vice President for Research at Northwestern University in Illinois and the Vice President for Research and Chief Operating Officer of Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“With all of the hardships facing today’s youth, we are honored to celebrate the accomplishments of such a gifted Hispanic professional in science and education who is working to inspire successful career and life choices,” said Wit Ostrenko, MOSI President.

For eight years, MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry) has recognized nationally distinguished Hispanic science and engineering professionals to serve as role models and mentors for Tampa Bay’s Hispanic youth. Past honorees include a former U.S. Surgeon General, a Nobel Laureate of Chemistry, a NASA astronaut, a marine biologist, a Harvard professor of pathology and former chief of immunogenetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a seismologist and former director of the Carnegie Academy for Science Education (CASE), Washington, D.C., and most recently, an industrial engineer and the first Hispanic to serve as acting head of the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

This year MOSI will present the National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Award to Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff during a gala award ceremony on Saturday, October 11, 2008.

The mission of the MOSI National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Award is to recognize outstanding Hispanic scientists who promote a greater public understanding of science and motivate Hispanic youths’ interest in science.  Proceeds from the event help to fund scholarships for at-risk youth who participate in MOSI’s Youth Enriched by Science program.

The Youth Enriched by Science, “YES!” Team, is a career and educational enrichment program designed to help at-risk youth, between the ages 13 to 17, develop and progress in a supportive peer-group environment.  Established in 1992, the focus of the program is to provide an opportunity for students to develop self-confidence, improve communication skills, build self-esteem and exhibit leadership skills.  In addition, students are encouraged and motivated to pursue science both as a career and as an essential element of their total education.  Mentors train students on science education, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and incorporating their ideas into museum programs.  Since 1996 about 90% of “YES!” Team participants have gone on to attend college.

In the year 2000 the Hispanic dropout rate rested at 27.8%, compared to 7% for White, non-Hispanic students and 13% for Black, non-Hispanic students.^[1] These statistics are significant when considering the rapid population growth experienced by the Hispanic minority group.  Studies show that in the year 2000 Hispanics comprised 12% of the total U.S. population, and it is estimated that this number will increase to 25% by the year 2050.

About MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry)

MOSI is a not-for-profit, community-based institution and educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry, and technology. With a total size of over 300,000 square feet, MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States, and home to the only IMAX^® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida. Kids In Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI is the largest children’s science center in the nation. MOSI’s newest permanent exhibition, Disasterville, featuring Bay News 9 WeatherQuest, combines education and 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibits on the science behind natural disasters.  For more information, visit www.mosi.org.

Former MOSI National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Award honorees

Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega (2007), industrial engineer; Dr. Inés Cifuentes (2006), seismologist; Dr. Edmond J. Yunis (2005), physician, researcher, Harvard professor; Dr. Antonia Coello Novello (2004), former U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Mario Molina, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2003); Fernando “Frank” Caldeiro, NASA Astronaut (2002); and Dr. Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, Marine Biologist (2001).

The new data revealed high dropout rates for minority students: 41.3 percent of black students, 31.3 percent of Native Americans, 30.3 percent of Hispanics, and 27.9 percent of Pacific Islanders. White students had a 15.2 percent dropout rate, while Asians had a 10.2 percent rate.

“Twenty-four percent of students dropping out is not good news,” said Superintendent of Education Jack O’Connell. “In fact, any student dropping out is one too many and the data reveal a disturbingly high dropout rate for Latinos and African-Americans.” “*

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) announced today that LULAC will receive a $1 million grant from the AT&T Foundation’s Aspire initiative, to implement LULAC’s Adelante America program, which will provide academic classes, mentoring and student leadership development for underserved, at-risk Latino teens in grades eight through 10. “This important educational initiative in our community will help ensure that our nation’s rich high-tech future and digital empowerment is within reach of our Latino youth,” said LULAC president Rosa Rosales. “A good education is the key to a successful future. And as a long-time leader in broadband and mobile communications, and a long-term dependable partner of the Hispanic community, AT&T is once again demonstrating their corporate leadership by keeping the American Dream accessible to Latino students all across the country.” The $1 million grant will be spread out over two years and will serve a total of 910 at-risk participants in the eighth through the 10th grade. The Adelante America program will develop services and activities that will link classroom learning with the challenges that students face in post-secondary education and the workplace of the future. The goals include increasing rates of on-time promotion to the next grade; improvement of academic performance as measured by grades and test scores; improvement of interpersonal relationships between the children and their peers, teachers, family and other adults; reduction of the dropout rate, delinquency and gang involvement; and achieving a higher graduation rate for its participants. “As one of the most well-respected advocacy organizations in the country, LULAC will help ensure that Latino students have the tools they need to live up to their maximum educational potential,” said Susan Santana, assistant vice president, External Affairs, AT&T. “We are honored to play a small part in helping today’s Latino youth become tomorrow’s world leaders.” The AT&T Foundation’s Aspire program was launched earlier this year, in an attempt to address the fact that nearly one-third of U.S. high school students drop out every year, which amounts to one student dropping out every 26 seconds — a disproportionate number of whom are Hispanics. The $100 million philanthropic effort announced in April reflects AT&T’s commitment to help to strengthen student success and workforce readiness. Currently, Latinos are vastly underperforming when compared with other groups. The percentage of adults over the age of 25 that has earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, is 27.2 percent. Among Latinos, that percentage is only 12.2 percent. In addition, Hispanic secondary school students have the highest dropout rates of any ethnic or racial group in the U.S. “*

More Hispanic students in the Beaumont Independent School District are dropping out than any other student group, according to the most recent data from the Texas Education Agency.

In five of the last seven senior classes, Hispanic students have had the highest number of dropouts, according to the data analyzed. “*

After 31 years, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center has decided to cancel the Puerto Rican Festival, held every summer at Riverfront Park.

“We feel that we need to put an emphasis on the real issues affecting our community including high dropout rates and unemployment,” said Juan Gerena, executive director of the center.”*

With the increase in the nation’s Hispanic population, policymakers must address the “opportunity gap” as an education challenge, says Dr. Pedro A. Noguera, a professor at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University.

“The opportunity gap [is] the gap in the opportunity to attend well-funded schools that can offer a good education,” he said in a recent radio interview on National Public Radio. “Latino students in this country are more segregated now than any other group and are more likely to go to schools that have very few resources, and not surprisingly have some of the highest dropout rates in the country.”*

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Internationally recognized molecular biologist and founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff, has been named MOSI’s 2008 National Hispanic Scientist of the Year.

Mexican American, Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff is deeply committed to the recruitment and retention of minorities in science. As founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, Villa-Komaroff has served as both a board member and vice president of the organization. She makes frequent presentations to students of all ages and provides lab research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Cytonome, Inc., a company building the first optical cell sorter of human cells for therapeutic use. Villa-Komaroff was a key member of the research team that first demonstrated that bacterial cells could produce insulin, pioneering work that is widely cited in the book “Invisible Frontiers: The Race to Clone the Insulin Gene” by Stephen Hall.

During her 20 year research career, Villa-Komaroff has held positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, University of Massachusetts Medical School and Harvard Medical School. As a science administrator, she has served as Vice President for Research at Northwestern University in Illinois and the Vice President for Research and Chief Operating Officer of Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“With all of the hardships facing today’s youth, we are honored to celebrate the accomplishments of such a gifted Hispanic professional in science and education who is working to inspire successful career and life choices,” concluded Wit Ostrenko, MOSI President.

For eight years, MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry) has recognized nationally distinguished Hispanic science and engineering professionals to serve as role models and mentors for Tampa Bay’s Hispanic youth. Past honorees include a former U.S. Surgeon General, a Nobel Laureate of Chemistry, a NASA astronaut, a marine biologist, a Harvard professor of pathology and former chief of immunogenetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a seismologist and former director of the Carnegie Academy for Science Education (CASE), Washington, D.C., and most recently, an industrial engineer and the first Hispanic to serve as acting head of the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

This year MOSI will present the National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Award to Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff during a gala award ceremony on Saturday, October 11, 2008.

The mission of the MOSI National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Award is to recognize outstanding Hispanic scientists who promote a greater public understanding of science and motivate Hispanic youths’ interest in science. Proceeds from the event help to fund scholarships for at-risk youth who participate in MOSI’s Youth Enriched by Science program.

The Youth Enriched by Science, “YES!” Team, is a career and educational enrichment program designed to help at-risk youth, between the ages 13 to 17, develop and progress in a supportive peer-group environment. Established in 1992, the focus of the program is to provide an opportunity for students to develop self-confidence, improve communication skills, build self-esteem and exhibit leadership skills. In addition, students are encouraged and motivated to pursue science both as a career and as an essential element of their total education. Mentors train students on science education, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, and incorporating their ideas into museum programs. Since 1996 about 90% of “YES!” Team participants have gone on to attend college.

In the year 2000 the Hispanic dropout rate rested at 27.8%, compared to 7% for White, non-Hispanic students and 13% for Black, non-Hispanic students. These statistics are significant when considering the rapid population growth experienced by the Hispanic minority group. Studies show that in the year 2000 Hispanics comprised 12% of the total U.S. population, and it is estimated that this number will increase to 25% by the year 2050.

Former MOSI National Hispanic Scientist of the Year Award honorees
Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega (2007), industrial engineer; Dr. Inés Cifuentes (2006), seismologist; Dr. Edmond J. Yunis (2005), physician, researcher, Harvard professor; Dr. Antonia Coello Novello (2004), former U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Mario Molina, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2003); Fernando “Frank” Caldeiro, NASA Astronaut (2002); and Dr. Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, Marine Biologist (2001).

# # #

MOSI is a not-for-profit, community-based institution and educational resource dedicated to advancing public interest, knowledge, and understanding of science, industry, and technology. With a total size of over 300,000 square feet, MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States, and home to the only IMAX® Dome Theatre in the state of Florida.”*

In an election year full of debate about Immigration enforcement, area Latino leaders say other issues affecting their communities are getting short shrift, from high school dropout rates to job training.

A new report, set for release Friday, highlights recommendations gathered during meetings with more than 600 Chicago-area civic leaders, religious representatives, elected officials and community activists over the last two years.

Nearly 70 percent of Latinos in the Chicago area are U.S. citizens, and 90 percent of Latino children were born here, according to “An American Agenda From a Latino Perspective,” by the group Latinos United.”*

*From: http://www.chicagotribune.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Dropout rates increased for all subgroups except Hispanic students:

* Asian 3.2%
* Native American 7.0%
* African American 7.4%
* Hispanic 7.9%
* White 3.6%
* Total 4.4%

Even with the increases in the Oregon’s dropout rate, it continues to be significantly lower than the very high dropout rates of the mid-1990’s. A decade ago, the statewide dropout rate stood at 7%, and the Hispanic rate was about 18%. The African American rate was nearly 12% and the Native American rate about 10%.”*

*From: http://www.salem-news.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Since 1974, the marketing giant Lexicon Marketing has been helping its Hispanic customers achieve the American dream through their pioneering English language learning product — Ingles sin Barreras(R). Today, it announced the launch of its new, bilingual vocational school, Profesiones sin Barreras(TM), to help Hispanics realize yet another significant part of that dream — job advancement.

Profesiones sin Barreras is a distance-learning institution dedicated to serving the vocational training needs of the adult Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. Approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Private Occupational School Board, Profesiones sin Barreras offers bilingual diploma programs for careers in the most in-demand industries.

Profesiones sin Barreras is committed to broadening the professional and financial opportunities available to the Spanish-speaking members of the American workforce. The School achieves its mission by appreciating the unique needs of its students and by offering programs that reflect current employment trends to ensure that its self-directed, distance-learning courses equip students with job skills essential for success. Profesiones sin Barreras’ initial course offerings include Medical Office Assistant, Start Your Own Business, Construction, and Sales and Customer Service. Students can enroll over the phone or online and pursue their courses at their own pace.

“This company was founded on the belief that by providing Hispanics with the right tools and education, they can succeed and achieve their dreams for a better future,” said Valeria Rico, President of Lexicon Marketing and Profesiones sin Barreras. “We are pleased to be able to offer our market a trustworthy, distance-learning school, that provides our students with a 100% bilingual choice for their educational needs.”

Profesiones sin Barreras provides students with dedicated support from academic advisors, tutors, and course instructors, all of whom are readily available to respond to any questions and concerns. Learning materials are created in bilingual, engaging, and accessible formats specially tailored to the needs of working adults.

Profesiones sin Barreras will address a significant educational problem in the US by offering alternative solutions to the roughly 2M Hispanic youths who are high school dropouts in addition to the millions of Hispanic adults in the workforce who lack the skills to apply for the jobs most in demand. According to the US Department of Education, in October 2005 approximately 3.5 million 16 to 24-year-olds were not enrolled in high school and had not earned a high school diploma or GED. These dropouts accounted for 9.4% of the 16 to 24- year-old population. The percentage of Hispanics ages 16 to 24 who were dropouts is consistently higher than that of Whites or Blacks throughout their 33-year longitudinal study. While Hispanics born outside the US had the largest percentage dropout rate (36.5%), first and second generation Hispanic youth are also much more likely to be dropouts than were non-Hispanic youth (13.9% and 11.6%, respectively).(1)

Although Hispanic workers have seen significant gains in employment over the past two years, the concentration of these jobs has been in relatively low-skill occupations. In 2004, 81% of new jobs for foreign-born Latinos and 76% of new jobs for native-born Latinos were in occupations requiring minimal formal education. In contrast, 64% of new jobs for native-born white workers were in occupations requiring a college degree or more. The average income of those aged 18-65 who have not completed high school was roughly $20,100 in 2005 v. $29,700 for those who had completed their high school education including those with a GED. This difference in earnings potential and disparity in educational outcome foresees a long term widening of the gap between Hispanics and other ethnic groups in terms of earnings potential.

    Industries with Highest Growth: Employment Distribution
                            (in thousands)
                                                          Employment
    Hispanics                                       2004          % of Total
      Eating, Drinking, Lodging                    1,810                 10%
      Construction                                 1,766                 10%
      Wholesale/Retail                             1,506                  8%
      Manufacturing                                  797                  4%
      Educational Services                           688                  4%
      Other                                       11,384                 63%
    Total                                         17,951                100%

    Non-Hispanics
      Prof Services                               14,682                 12%
      Educational Services                        10,821                  9%
      Hospitals and Health Svcs                   11,074                  9%
      Construction                                 8,030                  7%
      Other                                       76,350                 63%
    Total                                        120,957                100%

    Source:  Pew Hispanic Center, Latino Labor Report, 2004.

             Education Cluster of Hispanic Workers (in thousands)

                                           Employment 2004

                   Total      %        Native     %       Foreign     %
                 Hispanic Distribution  Born  Distribution Born   Distribution
    Education
     Level
    High School    5,341    30%         1,134     14%      4,207     43%

    High School/
     Some College  7,886    44%         3,957     49%      3,929     40%

    High School/
     Some College/
     College       2,574    14%         1,589     20%        985     10%

    Some College/
     College       1,158     6%           791     10%        367      4%

    College          992     6%           666      8%        326      3%

      Total       17,951   100%         8,137    100%      9,814    100%

    Source: Pew Hispanic Center, Latino Labor Report, 2004.

Given these statistics, there is a clear need to provide educational resources to Spanish speakers to help enhance their earnings potential and move them into higher-skill and higher paying occupations. One avenue of career enhancement or career change for many is post-secondary vocational education. While readily available in the general English-speaking market, there has been no major provider of such services to Spanish dominant or bilingual learners. Profesiones sin Barreras will fill that gap with culturally relevant, easy to use, state of the art learning materials to help Hispanics achieve their goals.

Profesiones sin Barreras is headquartered in Westminster, Colorado. For more information, contact Ian Creager at (303) 428-4977.”*

*From: http://sev.prnewswire.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

An estimated crowd of 2,000 to 3,000, including many of the original protesters and organizers, gathered at Lincoln High School in the Lincoln Heights community in East L.A. on Saturday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the “Chicano Blowouts.”

Armando Vazquez-Ramos, a Cal State Long Beach Chicano/Latino studies professor and Lincoln High graduate, led a contingency of about 20 CSULB students in the 1.5-mile reenactment march to Hazard Park in nearby Boyle Heights. Vazquez-Ramos, who was in his first year as a CSULB student, was among the 1968 demonstrators at Lincoln.

“The energy is amazing,” Vazquez-Ramos said. “We felt we accomplished something in 1968, but with a more than 45 percent dropout rate at Lincoln and other schools in L.A., we still have a long way to go.”"*

*From: http://media.www.daily49er.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Empty classrooms, educators clashing with police, anxious students — a weeklong teachers strike in Puerto Rico is dealing a blow to a public school system already struggling to reach U.S. benchmarks and reduce the highest dropout rate in America.

The union that represents the island’s 42,000 public school teachers declared the strike on Feb. 20 after 30 months of negotiations to increase salaries and address shortages of books, computers and other materials reached a deadlock. The government of this U.S. island territory is refusing to return to the table until the walkout ends.

On Wednesday, there was little sign that the strike is fizzling.”*

*From: http://ap.google.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Esmeralda County School Superintendent Robert Aumaugher found out a few months ago something that almost everyone else involved in education already knew: There is a “gap” in the high school graduation rates in Nevada. While 75 percent of “white” students graduate, only 55 percent of “Hispanics” cross the finish line.

So what did Mr. Aumaugher decide to do to reduce that disparity? He sent out a letter informing parents of students that their children would not be allowed to speak Spanish on the school bus anymore.

Now the 12 Latino students who ride the bus will have to speak English or be quiet for an hour each way in order to improve the dropout rate of minorities in the Silver State.”*

*From: http://news.rgj.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

A small-town Spanish mayor concerned about a high dropout rate in local schools has devised a way to keep kids studying — pay them.

Agustin Jimenez, Socialist mayor of the central agricultural town of Noblejas, is recommending the town’s children be given a euro — the equivalent of $1.50 — for every hour they spend reading in the local library.”*

*From: http://ap.google.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

In response to the staggering Hispanic dropout rate, 50 teams of students across the country developed action plans for sustainable social ventures to motivate their peers to stay in school. The student teams, composed of youth ages 13-20, were recognized today by Youth Venture and MTV Tr3s for winning the “Tu Voz, My Venture” contest, an initiative to motivate young Hispanics to stay in school and prepare for college or a career.

In the United States, just over half (57.8 percent) of Latino students graduate from high school on time (1), and Latino graduates are only about half as likely as white students to leave high school adequately prepared for four-year colleges.(2)

“We are proud of these young people,” said Gretchen Zucker, executive director of Youth Venture. “Being a pioneer and launching a venture that addresses such a complex issue — the high drop-out rate of Latino students — takes courage, leadership and important life skills. These 50 teams have shown their ability to lead. We look forward to continuing to support the ‘Tu Voz’ teams as they create positive social impact today, tomorrow and throughout their lives.”

The initiative awarded each of the 50 winning teams start-up grants of up to $1,000 to launch their ventures; five of them were then selected to receive a $5,000 scholarship. The effort was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Tu Voz, My Venture” is an element of a larger effort by Youth Venture and MTV Tr3s to invite young Latinos to express themselves through video and learn more about how to overcome the education challenges they face. It is also part of MTV Tr3s’ pro-social campaign, VOCES.

Among the winning “Tu Voz, My Venture” action plans are:

– BioMotors: Veggies give you GAS, Los Angeles, CA: The team’s action plan assists Latino students with transportation to educational programs, while engaging them in a movement to expand awareness of the use of environmentally conscious fuel. The plan calls for converting an old school bus diesel engine to run on used vegetable oil collected from fast food restaurants.

– College Bound Latinos, Arlington, VA: This team plans to host trips to colleges for young Latinos to expose them to college life and reinforce the importance of a college education. The program informs students about scholarship opportunities and hopes to educate parents of students by hosting “college night sessions” in English and Spanish.

– SOUL, Gresham, OR: Concerned about high drop-out and pregnancy rates among young Latinas, the ultimate goal of this venture is to get Latina students in Gresham High School focused on school and college through mentoring, homework tutoring, and the building of self-esteem and stronger social networks.

“MTV Tr3s is committed to providing a voice to young Latinos in all areas of their lives,” said Lucia Ballas-Traynor, senior vice president and general manager of the bilingual channel. “It is impressive and moving to hear what young people have to say about the importance of education and we are honored to be able to provide a means of helping them turn their ideas into action. I highly commend these young people and thank them for participating.”

For a summary of the winning team’s venture ideas, please visit www.genv.net or www.mtv3voces.com. The 50 winning teams from across the United States are: “*

Latino families need vouchers to break out of poverty and to provide Utah a well-educated work force, say Latino business leaders.

Julio Fuentes, of Competitive America, an education-focused business coalition, said Utah’s Latino population is about 12 percent and rapidly growing. Unfortunately, the high school dropout rate for Latino students is more than 40 percent, he said. “*

“At a townhall meeting held at the East Los Angeles high school on which the movie “Stand and Deliver,” was based, Barack Obama announced that he will introduce a middle school investment bill that will help reduce the Latino dropout rate.

Obama also discussed his plan to help relieve the grip poverty has on our cities.

Latinos are dropping out of school more than any other group of Americans. “*

“Today, Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., Esperanza’s president and CEO, announced that only 2 of 630 Esperanza Academy Charter High School students dropped out during the 2006 school year.

The Philadelphia School District has a 43% Latino dropout rate — higher than any other ethnic group in the city. Nearly half of Esperanza’s neighborhood population over age 25 does not have a high school diploma.

“We are delighted with this extraordinary success,” said Rev. Cortes. “I congratulate our teachers, our parents and most of all, our students for their tireless dedication to learning.”

“Over the past two years, the school’s board, administration and staff have moved toward individualized instruction,” explained Rev. Cortes. “Tailoring curriculum and instruction to our students’ needs develops students with hope, a belief in their future and a willingness to work hard. Dropping out is simply not an option.”

The Academy’s drop-out rate is just one of the school’s many accomplishments:

– 89% attendance rate — in contrast to 65% - 75% for area high schools — 70% graduation rate — 20% higher than the citywide Latino graduation rate — 91% college acceptance rate — 31% improvement in math scores since 2003 — One of only three neighborhood (non magnet) high schools in the city to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (No Child Left Behind standard) for two consecutive years.

The Academy’s student body is 92% Latino and 8% African American. The school has a zero tolerance policy for fighting, vandalism, drug, alcohol and weapons possession.

The Rev. Luis Cortes is president of Esperanza, the largest Hispanic faith-based community development corporation in the country. With a national network of 10,000 faith- and community-based agencies, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America. For more information, go to www.esperanza.us/. “*

“Expanding opportunity is at the core of the American dream. We believe that if we work hard and play by the rules, we can succeed and create better lives for ourselves and our children. Latinos understand and value the importance of opportunity - a good education system and good jobs.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

That is why Hillary Clinton has an agenda that expands opportunity for Latinos. It starts with closing the early achievement gap; she will help address it by ensuring every child in America enters school ready to learn. As President, Hillary Clinton will:

* Invest $10 billion in quality pre-kindergarten. Hillary will provide access to high quality pre-kindergarten for all four-year-olds through a federal-state partnership. Her proposal pays particular attention to the need for these programs among children from limited-English and/or low income households - ensuring that they receive priority in enrollment and receive these services at no cost. Currently, only 40 percent of three-to-five-year-old Hispanics attend pre-k compared to about 60 percent of whites and blacks, in large part because pre-k isn’t available or the price is out of reach in many Hispanic communities. One study of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s pre-k-for-all program found benefits for all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic status groups but the gains for Hispanic students were especially impressive. Hispanic students experienced a 79 percent gain in letter-word identification (compared to 52 percent for whites), a 39 percent gain in spelling (compared to 26 percent for whites), and a 54 percent gain in applied problem solving (compared to 6 percent for whites).
* Expand Head Start and Early Head Start. Hillary is proud to have helped create Early Head Start when she was First Lady and to have worked toward doubling it as a Senator. As President, She will continue to expand access to Head Start for the children of farm workers; end the underrepresentation of Latino children in Head Start and Early Head Start; ensure that assessments of children’s growth and development are culturally and linguistically appropriate; and grow the programs overall to increase school readiness of Latino children.
* Expand parent support programs. Hillary will also expand innovative nurse home visitation and parent education programs, such as Parents as Teachers and the Nurse Home Visitation Program, to help first-time mothers prepare for and care for their young children. One analysis of the Parents as Teachers program in Northern California found that this program improved children’s cognitive, social, emotional skills even more so among children in Spanish-speaking Latino families than others.

But school readiness is just the beginning. We also need to do better by Hispanic children throughout the education pipeline so that they can realize their dreams and aspirations. That means raising achievement, closing the achievement gap, focusing on the drop out crisis and getting all Latino children to college. As President, Hillary Clinton will:

* Set a big goal of cutting the Latino drop-out rate in half. The Latino dropout rate is far too high - half of all Latino kids don’t graduate from high school on time. Hillary has supported the Graduation Promise Act, which makes a $2.5 billion investment to stop what have become known as “high school drop out factories.” Two thousand of these drop-out factories nation-wide produce the majority of our high school dropouts. The dropout rate for Hispanics is more than double the rate for African Americans and more than three times the rate for whites.
* Expand GEAR UP to provide mentoring to Latino children. Many at-risk youth are falling off the track to higher education and career success early in the middle school years because they lack the tools and positive role models to get ahead. GEAR UP supports innovative partnerships between local school systems, colleges, businesses, and non-profit organizations to provide over a million middle-school students in high-risk schools with comprehensive college-readiness services including tutoring, mentoring, and college visits. Hillary will increase by 50 percent the number of children being served by GEAR UP.
* Put college within reach for more Hispanic families. Only 12 percent of Hispanics eventually earn a bachelor’s degree, compared with 33 percent of non-Hispanic whites. College enrollment and completion rates haven’t increased over the past 20 years and more members of the freshman class at the University of Michigan have parents making at least $200,000 a year than have parents making less than the national median of $53,000. For Latinos, cost can be a major barrier; the total cost of public college tuition is one-third of the median household income compared with 24 percent for white students. Hillary will make a firm commitment to make college affordable when she is President. She will end the work penalty that discounts students’ financial aid packages by as much as 50 percent for each dollar they earn; increase the Pell Grant maximum so that it keeps pace with the rising cost of college; and enact a student borrowers’ bill of rights to ensure that loan payments are reasonable. And Hillary will work to increase funding for work-study and other federal financial aid and cut student loan interest rates.
* Enact the DREAM Act. It will provide a path to citizenship for undocumented children by allowing them to go to college - at the same cost as other state residents for those attending state institutions - or serve in the military. The children of undocumented families often come to the United States at a very early age. They know no other home, and our current policy fails them by providing them no affordable path to college.

As President, Hillary Clinton will also focus on those young people who have traditionally been forgotten. As President, she will:

* Help students stay in school and stay on track. Hillary will invest $100 million in a new public/private summer internship program to help one million at-risk middle-school students. Participation in internships teaches young people the value and potential of work and increase the likelihood that they will graduate from high school, go to college and find employment.
* Support responsible fatherhood and provide second-chance jobs. Hillary will make sure that states and counties have adequate resources to collect child support and also make sure that these government agencies pass every dollar on to children; research has shown that fathers pay more of their child support and develop deeper bonds with their children if they know that those payments go directly to their children. She will also create new incentive-based re-entry partnership grants - investing $200 million over five years - that will create partnerships between correction facilities, community and religious organizations, community colleges or vocational programs, job placement agencies, and local employers so that all ex-offenders have the opportunity to rebuild their lives. At the end of 2005, there were almost three times as many Hispanic male inmates as whites per capita. Ex-offenders often end up committing crimes again in part because they face steep barriers to entering the legitimate labor market.

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

But expanding educational attainment will mean nothing if there aren’t good jobs. And that’s why Hillary Clinton has an economic agenda focused on creating good jobs. During the 1990s, the Latino middle class expanded. There are more than nine million Hispanics living in poverty today, including 4.2 million Hispanic children, but the typical Hispanic family has seen its real income fall nearly $1,000 since President Bush took office. As President, Hillary Clinton will:

* Eliminate incentives for American companies to ship jobs and profits overseas. The tax code rewards companies for off-shoring jobs by enabling them to defer paying American taxes for as long as they hold the money abroad. The current policy puts companies that create jobs in America at a competitive disadvantage.
* Help working people earn enough to support their families and help them save for the future. Hillary will simplify and expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and overhaul the unemployment insurance system.
* Make it easier to form unions in order to create jobs with higher wages and better benefits. She will support the Employee Free Choice Act, which will level the playing field between workers and employers and ensure that employees will not be unfairly punished by their employers for attempting to unionize. As a result, more workers, including Latinos will be able to organize and bargain collectively for a better way of life, higher wages, quality health care and a secure retirement.
* Increase the minimum wage. Hillary Clinton has proposed linking increases in the federal minimum wage to Congressional pay increases in order to improve the lives of middle-class Americans, who are working harder and longer for less and less. For them, the costs of living are increasing but their wages are remaining constant. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 76.5 million American workers were paid at hourly rates in 2006, representing 59.7 percent of all wage and salary workers. Of those paid by the hour, 409,000 were reported as earning exactly $5.15, the prevailing Federal minimum wage. About 2 percent of Hispanic hourly-paid workers earned $5.15 or less.

QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

Hillary Clinton will also ensure that all Americans have access to quality health care that is affordable. There are 15.3 million uninsured Hispanics in the United States, and they are the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to have health insurance. Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and more likely to contract HIV. Thirty-one percent of Hispanics report that they have no usual source of health care - that’s twice as high as the rate for non-Hispanic whites. As President, Hillary will work to pass the American Health Care Choices Plan, which will:

* Guarantee that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed over the last several years - nearly doubled since 2000 - while incomes have remained stagnant. The average income in Latino households in 2006 was $37,781 compared with $53,423 for non-Hispanic whites, making it more difficult for Latinos to afford the care they need.
* Eliminate insurance discrimination. Under Hillary’s plan, no one will be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, age, occupation or other risk factors. No American will be denied coverage, refused renewal of an insurance policy, unfairly priced out of the market, or charged excessive premiums.
* Provide families with a tax credit for premiums. Her plan will guarantee that no Latino family pays more than a reasonable share of their income in health insurance premiums by providing an income-contingent tax credit to cover the excess cost of premiums.
* End racial disparities in access to quality health care. Hillary’s plan to ensure universal health coverage is vital to closing the disturbing racial and ethnic health disparities that are pervasive throughout our health care system. While many factors, such as the environment, contribute to the disparities in health outcomes, no factor matters more than access to health insurance.
* Expand access to Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Disadvantaged adults without children will finally be able to enroll in these programs. For the 9.6 million Latinos participating in Medicaid, this plan will fix the holes in the safety net. Also, hospitals and community health centers will continue to receive support so that they can serve vulnerable populations.
* Make it easier for small business owners to offer health care coverage. Small businesses are vital to the growth of the American economy and Latinos have contributed greatly to the growth of the small business community. In 2002, there were 1.6 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that, together, generated $222 billion in revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The rate of growth of Hispanic-owned businesses was 31 percent between 1997 and 2002, nearly triple the national average. Under Hillary’s plan, small business owners will be given a tax credit for providing coverage to employees.
* Provide guaranteed sick days. Hillary is a strong supporter of the Healthy Families Act, which provides every full-time worker with seven days of sick leave. Today, half of working Americans don’t receive a sick day; among low-wage workers, one out of every four workers doesn’t get a sick day.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Hillary Clinton will also work to ensure that all Latinos have the opportunity to realize the American dream of homeownership. Right now, we could be facing a real crisis in the mortgage market and Latinos are carrying a large share of that burden - 40 percent of Latino homeowners have subprime mortgages. She will make sure that we don’t have a situation where people lose their homes through no fault of their own. To address the growing mortgage crisis, help Latinos homeowners avoid foreclosure, and ensure that home ownership is in reach for millions of Hispanics, Hillary Clinton will:

* Expand Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s foreclosure prevention programs. These government-sponsored enterprises already help mitigate foreclosures by enabling some borrowers to swap into less-risky, lower-cost loans. Fannie Mae’s also helps homeowners arrange payment forbearance, financial counseling, and loan restructurings. Hilary will expand these initiatives to include helping a larger number of at-risk homeowners avoid foreclosure.
* End prepayment penalties. Studies have shown that loans with prepayment penalties have a 52 percent greater risk of default than those without. She will restrict the use of prepayment penalties. Prepayment penalties, which are often used on subprime, Alt-A, and non-traditional mortgages, are a problem for borrowers.
* Put a stop to mortgage fraud and predatory lending. She will require mortgage brokers to disclose to borrowers that their compensation rises when borrowers’ mortgage rates and mortgage fees are high. Borrowers need to be aware of this when assessing the advice brokers give them. Also, Hillary will work with states to develop strong licensing standards and require federal registration for mortgage brokers.
* Make government-backed mortgages through the Federal Housing Administration more available. Hillary has introduced legislation, the 21st Century Housing Act, to enable the FHA to provide more homebuyers with an alternative to the subprime market. Homebuyers who do not qualify for conventional mortgages are the most common users of FHA-backed mortgages. The 21st Century Housing Act would strengthen the FHA so that it could work more efficiently with lenders, develop new mortgage products, and serve more borrowers.
* Expand affordable housing. Hillary will establish a $1-billion fund to support state, county and municipal housing trust funds, which generally use dedicated funding sources to support initiatives, like building subsidized rental housing and safety net housing, and also support non-profit housing developers.

SUPPORT FOR OUR VETERANS

In 2004, according to the Department of Defense, Latinos made up 13 percent of new recruits - an all-time high, nearly twice the percentage of 10 years earlier. And while Latinos are still underrepresented in the military, the absolute number of Latinos entering the armed forces continues to grow, which means that the Latino veteran population will grow. The Bush administration has ignored its responsibility to service men and women before deployment, during service and upon their return to the United States. Hillary Clinton’s agenda for veterans will include:

* A new G.I. Bill of Rights. Hillary has proposed a new bargain with our troops. Her plan would reduce the level of red tape facing our wounded service members and veterans; make available microloans for entrepreneurial ventures up to $100,000; expand opportunities for veterans to purchase, build, repair or improve a home; protect service members against predatory lending, insurance, and other financial practices; and provide educational scholarships for those who have served.
* Guaranteed, mandatory funding of our veteran’s health care system. Hillary does not think that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should be fighting every year to get the funding necessary to care for our wounded veterans. She has called for full funding of veterans’ health care, taking into account the fluctuating number of veterans and inflation in each year going forward.
* A pay raise for wartime troops. One in five military families rely on food stamps and other public assistance to survive and last year’s pay increase for members of the uniformed services was just 2.2 percent, the lowest since 1994. Hillary has called upon President Bush to increase pay for our troops by 3.5 percent.
* A monthly stipend for Gold Star Parents. Hillary introduced the Gold Star Parents Annuity Act, which would provide a life-long $125 monthly stipend to surviving mothers and fathers whose sons or daughters lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces during a period of war.

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Low-income and minority communities are most vulnerable to environmental threats because of where they live and a lack of access to information. According to the American Lung Association, 80 percent of Latinos live in counties that do not meet at least one federal air quality standard as mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; in comparison, only 57 percent of whites and 65 percent of blacks are in the same situation. And according to the League of United Latin American Citizens, 39 percent of Latinos live within 30 miles of a power plant, which puts them at maximum exposure to pollutants, and often Latinos are not aware of advisories about environmental pollutants. As President, Hillary Clinton will:

* Enact legislation to reduce global warming pollution by 80 percent by 2050. She supports legislation to create a cap and trade system that auctions off most of the polluting permits in order to most efficiently achieve significant decreases in our emissions and halt global warming.
* Create a Strategic Energy Fund that would inject $50 billion to fund research, development and deployment of energy technologies that will reduce America’s oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions. It will deliver clean coal technology by providing $3.5 billion in tax incentives and grants to build clean coal plants; invest in renewable energy and move America toward the goal of producing 25 percent of electricity from renewable sources; provide more incentives for consumers to purchase and companies to manufacture efficient vehicles; accelerate the development of homegrown biofuels; provide incentives for people to make their homes more energy efficient; and create a $9 billion Advanced Research Projects Agency.
* Create new jobs and increase our energy efficiency through a Green Building Fund. Hillary will allocate $1 billion annually to states to make grants or low-interest loans to improve energy efficiency in public buildings, police stations, firehouses and offices, creating as many as 50,000 new “green-collar” jobs.
* Pass the Environmental Justice Renewal Act to help communities harmed by pollution. The legislation it would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor and control pollution caused by power plants, waste treatment facilities and their transportation methods, refineries and other problematic industrial situations which happen to affect communities made up of the poorest people of our society.

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

Hillary Clinton will bring the leadership that the country needs to finally pass a comprehensive immigration reform policy. Our current system is broken. It is at odds with our values as a nation and is simply not working. There are more than 12 million undocumented people currently living in the United States - that’s nearly 1 in 20 workers. We have no ability to identify them or ensure that they are being treated fairly in the workplace. Hillary will enact comprehensive reform that is fair. She will also work to help change the negative tone and rhetoric that has divided our nation when it comes to immigration. This reform will:
# Provide for a path to citizenship. We have to provide a path to legal status and earned citizenship to those who have been in this country and are working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar to become citizens.
# Bolster border security. We must reduce the number of undocumented people coming to the United States. We need to deploy new technology that can help our border patrol agents be more effective in stopping the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country.
# Maintain family reunification as a core principle. We must protect the sanctity of families and repair the broken, unfair bureaucratic system that forces lawful immigrants to live apart from their spouses and children.
# Create an agricultural guest worker program. It will end the exploitation of undocumented agricultural workers and ensure that the wages of American workers are not undermined.
# Expedite the process of entering the United States. We need to eliminate the backlog of immigration applications and make the wait time reasonable so that families aren’t kept apart unnecessarily. We should capitalize on technological advances to streamline and standardize the system of applying to enter the United States.

Today, the American dream of opportunity is threatened by an administration in which the struggles of hardworking Americans are invisible to President Bush. Part of why Hillary Clinton is running for President is to renew the promise of America as the land of opportunity for all Americans. “

“Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) set a goal Wednesday to cut the high school dropout rate for Hispanics in half if she is elected president, calling the lack of high-school-educated Hispanics a “crisis.”

Speaking at a sparsely attended Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) forum, Clinton focused on education issues and advocated a $100 million investment in a public-private summer internship program that would help minority students network for potential future jobs.”

“These are not the best of times for Latinos. It’s not only Alberto Gonzales, dropout rates and rampant racism against Hispanics.

It is also that not even the Latino soldiers who died for this country - their country - during World War II are recognized and given their place in the history of the nation without a fight.

It could not have been easy for famous documentarian Ken Burns to create “The War,” his new seven-part epic about World War II, while completely ignoring the contributions of about half a million Latinos. Give him credit, though; somehow he managed to do it.”

“I’ve lived in Philadelphia since 1976, and I have yet to see significant progress among Latinos being educated in the public school system here.

Three decades ago, high school-dropout rates were soaring, schools were overcrowded and a lack of resources plagued the school district. Lawsuits were filed to redress issues related to bilingual education and inadequate access to services because of language barriers. Our neighborhoods in the barrios were wracked by drug-related gang violence and unemployment, a byproduct of the recession.”