Colleges unprepared for surging Hispanic population

FResno Bee ^ | 1/29/04 | Steve Geigerich - AP

[NormsRevenge]

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education projects that Hispanics will account for 21 percent of the country's public high school graduates in 2008, up from 17 percent in 2002.

The commission found that nearly 5 million Hispanics were enrolled in the country's public elementary and high schools in 1993-94. And by the 2007-08 school year, it projects that Latino public school enrollment will be about 9 million.

[NormsRevenge]

Please keep it civil. Thanks.

[malakhi]

"We know there is a relationship between race and income and academic preparedness," Longanecker said. "But we don't have the support services in place to enhance the success that we need."

It sounds to me as if a more accurate headline might be, "Surging Hispanic population unprepared for college".

[wizardoz]

What special "preparations" do colleges need for Hispanics that they didn't need for Whites, Asians, and Blacks? Do Hispanics need separate bathrooms or something?

[cyborg]

How sad you even have to put such a disclaimer.

[doodad]

That was my thought exactly. Not everyone should go to college. Nothing wrong in vo-tech or similar situations.

[Mr. Mojo]

colleges need to step up efforts to accommodate the nation's largest minority.

Spanish-speaking-only professors?

[AD from SpringBay]

Maybe the surging hispanic population should prepare for college and not the other way around. Something simple, learning English, could do wonders.

[Mr. Mojo]

What special "preparations" do colleges need for Hispanics

Exactly. ....It makes no sense whatsoever. And the article failed to answer the question.

[doodad]

But he said schools across the country need to do a better job of recruiting and retaining Latino faculty members who can serve as role models for Hispanic undergraduates

Here is the crux of the biscuit. More union members aiding non assimilation to further a seperation of functions, etc. $$$$$$

[NormsRevenge]

How sad you even have to put such a disclaimer.

I, too, support pre-emption. ;-]

The article treats All of the students as legal residents (notice no mention of how many are not) of this country entitled to fair and equal opportunity and such, while in fact, that is not necessarily the case, imo.

[KantianBurke]

Maybe the surging hispanic population should prepare for college and not the other way around. Something simple, learning English, could do wonders.

[doodad]

Do Hispanics need separate bathrooms or something?

The point is to ignore the student's shortcomings in order to duplicate services in Spanish and hire more union members. All based on the assumption that college is required and a right.

[cyborg]

This article, or the subject of it, is wrong on so many levels. Whenever I read articles about 'hispanics' having a problem that come out of California or Texas, one can almost always be sure they're referring to illegal aliens who have children ill prepared for life in the States. Not knowing english isn't an excuse. I watched a show about an African refugee boy who came here not knowing ANY english and is now top of his class. Second of all, I don't know about anyone esle but my mother is a widow and I work RIGHT NOW to support her and try to take at least one class in college so all this excuse making is special interest pandering CRAP. BTW, right now I'm thinking I would have better spent my time learning to be a mechanic or a plumber since every time I need one I get a $50/hr sh*t stick just to turn one screw.

[cyborg]

Haha... tactial preemption is good! (I'm sure the mod thanks you)

Everytime I read articles like these and notice they are written in California/Texas I groan.

[FITZ]

What they mean is how do they get degrees now to those graduating from bilingual ed who never learned English -- ie Spanish courses and remedial courses (high school level), and obviously lots of financial aid. UTEP for example is prepared --- 65% of it's students are in remedial ed --- high school level courses and receiving lots of financial aid --- which is obviously being denied to better students.

[FITZ]

That's exactly what it means --- you take away the recent immigrant factor --- hispanics have no problem, it's that the group is being diluted with illiterate people from Mexico where the average person goes to school for 3 years. Public school only goes up to the 6th grade there and the majority never make it that far.

[FITZ]

need to do a better job of recruiting and retaining Latino faculty members

Meaning --- they need Spanish speaking professors, these kids have never learned English and now the government is eager for them to be handed BS degrees --- but in Spanish. Also too many non-hispanics aren't interested in teaching Chicano Studies, that will be the major of most.

[cyborg]

I've yet to meet a Mexican interested in 'chicano' studies.

[VeniVidiVici]

I've yet to meet a Mexican interested in 'chicano' studies.

Here is one out of about 13k hits on Google. Seems to be a good number of Mexican names listed.

http://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/research/focusgroups/chicanorfg.html

[cyborg]

Not liberal academic snobbery fluff that's on the level of 'afrocentric studies'... there are legitimate courses in latin-american history. I've never met anyone from Mexico who had an interest in the lefty propaganda that passes for 'chicano' studies.