My son started 4th grade this year. It’s notable for me because my most vivid memories of school start about this time. My son and I have been spending a lot of time together lately. We work on homework, read, and especially talk about the “enormous” challenges of 4th grade. Depending on the day, we…
I’ve been listening more to BBC News lately. It’s an excellent alternative to U.S. cable news which seems to focus more on ratings than substance. Case in point this article and series of videos discussing the Latino educational crisis. Informative. Objective. Unbiased.
MSNBC’s José Díaz-Balart moderates a discussion on preparing Latinos for college and the 21st century workforce. It’s a nice balance of frank discussion, practical illustrations, and potential strategies. A consistent theme in the discussion is “stopping the blame.” As a community, we have to take responsibility for engaging, advancing, and monitoring our progress. Visit msnbc.com…
About six years ago I remember reading an article by demographer Steve Murdock that suggested about the United States would be facing an educational crisis if, as a nation, we failed to educate ALL of our population. Minority students who do get through high school face even greater obstacles in earning a bachelor’s degree. Because…
Jose Mas, CEO at MASTEC, sums it up nicely: But ultimately, in order for Hispanics to play a stronger role in the private sector – whether it’s sitting on corporate boards, entering fields with low Hispanic representation, improving success rates for Hispanic small businesses, or creating more employment opportunities for Hispanic workers – we, as…
As a first-generation college student many (many) years ago, I can relate to Latino college students that often don’t have that “role model” or mentor they can rely on for advice. And while I had many non-Latino mentors during my college years and career, it’s hard to genuinely connect with someone who can’t grasp growing…
The lack of Latino representation in the federal government precludes our country’s ability to develop inclusive, reasonable, fair, and practical policies for the Latino community. The Center for American Progress just released a report that indicates the government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) fails to reflect the nation’s racial and gender composition. The representation gap is…
There was great discussion today via the Diane Rehm Show regarding college admissions and disappearing financial aid. Many interesting topics in the hour show including how low income students are at risk – given that many take the community college path: And the reality is that in many states, university systems are putting caps on…
Jose Fernando Lopez (via Latino Voices) highlights the lack of Latino C-Level representation in Fortune 500 companies. Currently, there are seven Latino CEOs. And according to Timothy Pratt, who is cited in the article, there have only been 15 Latino CEOs at Fortune 500 companies since 1981. Repeat: there have been only 15 Hispanic CEOs…
Some number crunching by economist Matthew Slaughter of Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business shows that only those with advanced degrees are seeing an increase in wages during this economic environment. Interestingly, I’d have to agree. Since obtaining my doctorate a couple of years ago, many more opportunities have presented themselves. Moreover, the opportunities have…
