Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/389203
AEA Advocate x Special Election Edition 2014 19 AROUND AEA student in her gifted and honors classes and the impact this had on her growing up. "I started to feel like I didn't belong in those classes and it made me doubt myself. It wasn't until I went to a Hispanic- Serving Institution in Colorado that I really started to believe in myself and it gave me the confidence to go on and get my masters." "People identify with those they look like. It's very important in my experience to have other Hispanic students in gifted classes and to have Hispanic teachers in classrooms with Hispanic students. We need to send that message that we are Latino educators and we go to college and here are other people doing the exact same thing and you can do this too." Many Arizona school districts have difficulty recruiting qualified teachers and resort to programs like Teach for America that provide temporary teachers who are under-qualified and commit to only two years of service. Studies have indicated that students suffer in school districts that rely on this strategy. Also, such programs lower the status of teaching as an esteemed profession. Latino students and other students of color are disproportionately impacted by such programs. Additionally, school districts that serve Latino students are unable to recruit and retain enough qualified Latino teachers to reflect the ethnicity of their students, which has anegative impact on student achievement. By creating a program that supports the mentoring and development of our own students as future Latino teachers, the Cadre is building that path through identification and training as community organizers and leaders. "We know there's a large portion of students of color, including an even higher percentage of Latino students, and we really want to support our students and develop leadership and civic engagement, but also strengthen the community through building partnerships," says Lias. "We're trying to bring people together to change policies and affect public education by building meaningful and authentic relationships among educators, parents, businesses, and the community." The Cadre has had many one-on-one conversations with parents, community members, and civic leaders on issues that impact students. One of the short- term goals of the Cadre is to increase Latino voter registration and turnout. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Arizona's Hispanic population is about 30 percent of the state's total population and they make up about 20 percent of the electorate. Through the Cadre, the AEA Foundation for Teaching & Learning and NEA have formed a partnership with One Arizona to gather community organizations to coordinate efforts to give voice to the Latino community by motivating voter registration and turnout. This partnership has led to alliances with Latino community organizations and the production of TV and radio spots promoting the AEA in the Spanish media market. Several Cadre members participated in the filming of two Spanish language TV ads at Mitchell Elementary School with popular Univision TV news personality Mary Rabago, who is starting her own show. The TV ads highlighted the struggles Latino teachers and students face due to current political realities and encouraged the audience to register to vote and take action. The Cadre also participated in a radio program with other Latino leaders about education issues. View the ads online at www. arizonaea.org/home/560.htm. Continued on next page TV host Mary Rabago with a student during filming of Spanish language PSAs. Mitchell Elementary School Principal Fernando Nunez urges parents to register to vote in video PSAs.