Education Is the Key

Orange County leaders would do well to carefully study the results of a recent survey of the county’s Latino community. While many areas of concern were examined, including housing, employment and health, the bottom line was this: Education is the most important way to bring the Latino community into the county’s economic and political mainstream.

At the same time, the survey outlined severe shortcomings--ranging from language problems in elementary schools to student-dropout rates--in providing the know-how Latinos need to compete in this area’s ever more technological marketplace. The failure to adequately address these educational problems affects not only the Latino community but all of Orange County.

The comprehensive two-year study, the first of its kind in the county, was conducted by the nonprofit Tomas Rivera Center in Claremont. In all, 400 residents and 120 Latino leaders were interviewed. Finally, groups of leaders participated in “focus groups” aimed at assessing the needs and priorities of the county’s Latinos. The findings are expected to be used as a resource by 200 county public and private policy-setting agencies in dealing with the county’s 440,000 Latinos.

The survey revealed some interesting findings. For example, it found that discrimination was felt more strongly among Latinos who had spent more time in the educational system, although no explanation was given for this. It noted that, while the number of poor Latinos is extremely high, the county is also home to some of the wealthiest Latinos in California--a reflection of the area’s general affluence. And the survey found that traffic congestion, a nearly obsessive concern among Orange Countians in general, was of minor import to Latinos. They simply had more pressing things to think about.

But the most compelling results outlined by the survey touched on education. Less than half of the Latinos in Orange County surveyed said they had completed the 12th grade, while 7% indicated they have never attended school at all. On the average, Latinos completed the freshman year in high school.

The survey also noted that many minority children are not prepared to enter schools whose environment and language are foreign to them.

While calling upon additional help from government, charities and private enterprise, the Latinos leaders surveyed looked to themselves as part of the solution. They saw that more Latino representation on local school boards was needed, as well as a continuing demand for teachers who are better prepared to deal with a multi-ethnic school population.

Latino leaders also came up with many noteworthy recommendations, particularly those that emphasized that educational intervention should take place in early childhood. Specifically, they suggested increasing bilingual education, starting dropout- prevention programs at the lower grade levels and increasing early intervention programs designed to improve student achievement.

The survey is a thorough and serious look at the county’s largest minority population. It should be used as a guide for future programs aimed at opening up opportunities to all of Orange County’s residents.