PLATFORM : They Can Achieve

(Many educators) are not aware of what kind of education these students may have had in their native country. So they conclude that based on immigration status, based on the language barrier, that these students must be low achievers.

Another factor that is related is that many Hispanic students are poor. They go to free breakfast programs, they may go through free lunch programs, they may get other kinds of services at school, like migrant programs. Just because they have such labels--they’re migrant students, or what they call EDY, meaning Economically Deprived Youth--that does not mean they can’t achieve.

I think one of the things that teachers and counselors should be aware of is that when you see statistics that claim Hispanics drop out of school at a 50% rate, they should be aware that there are many Hispanics who graduate from high school, who take college prep courses, go on to college. They don’t get the recognition, but they’re there. They don’t stand out, so that teachers and counselors don’t take notice.