Customer Reviews

The Latino Education Crisis: The Consequences of Failed Social Policies

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Latino Education Crisis provides a well-researched evaluation of the challenges facing Latinos in the education system today. The book contains an abundance of statistics and sources, none of which I'll reference here. Instead, I want to point out some of the ideas I think are critical to really understand the current situation and the possible solutions. First, this issue isn't a "Latino" problem; it's a United States problem. Latinos are a large and growing component of the education system in the US, and the success or failure of the Latino student population is tied to the success or failure of the United States education system and economy. Second, the issue is not a lack of intellectual ability among Latino students, but rather a lack of educational support systems. Schools with high Latino populations tend to have fewer resources, more overcrowding, less skilled teachers, and higher teacher/admin turnover than other schools. Third, a critical factor driving the crisis is a lack of understanding within the Latino community regarding how "the system" works and whom to go to for guidance/assistance - concepts referred to by the authors as "cultural capital" and "social capital". Fourth, the challenges surrounding English language acquisition/bilingual learning have become a political issue looking for a debate rather than an education issue looking for a solution. And fifth, the investment required to improve the situation - teacher recruitment and training, improved facilities, student and family support programs, testing alternatives in Spanish, preschool programs and other social services - is just that; an investment, rather than an expense, which will pay off in the long-term with more students completing high school, going on to college, and contributing to society than will be the case without changes in the system as it exists today. This book is an outstanding resource for educators, parents of students, and community leaders, and a must-read for school administrators. To end with a quote from the book, "Education is the single most effective way to integrate the burgeoning population of Latinos into the US economy and society." With an understanding of the issues and with the right response, the Latino education crisis could become the Latino education opportunity.

This book was purchased for a class. i found it easy reading and provided an in-depth understanding of the challenges for Latinos in Education. I highly recommend this book to any teacher, administrator and staff member who works with Latino youth and their families.

Book arrived much earlier than anticipated.
In great condition, no highlighting and very clean and well taken care of.

Given the growth of the Hispanic population in Texas, I read this book with interest, and found that it is well-researched; however, one important piece of the puzzle was totally missing. The authors never discuss WHY the Hispanic population is the fastest growing population. Aside from mentioning a few statistics about immigration, family size and socioeconomic levels, they fail to acknowledge the 900 pound gorilla in the room--that the predominate religious view among the Hispanic population opposes the use of birth control in any form, which exacerbates the problem ten-fold. Until that rudimentary connection is made in a public forum and acknowledged in any discourse regarding the Hispanic population's various crises, social "fixes" alone will not succeed. A much greater cultural shift, which is perhaps beyond the scope of this book, must ultimately occur within the population itself before social programs will show measurable, positive outcomes.