OJAI : Schools Target Spanish Speakers

Spanish-speaking parents in the Ojai Unified School District say they welcome the district’s stepped-up campaign to get them more involved with their children’s education.

Guest speakers, child care and dancers brought about 40 Latino parents to the district’s Bilingual Advisory Committee meeting Thursday in an Ojai auditorium.

“We expected between 25 and 100 people, but this kind of thing will only grow by word-of-mouth,” said organizer Peter G. Aguirre, a teacher at Matilija Junior High who handles special projects while teaching Spanish and English.

District officials said Thursday’s kickoff for the new schedule of monthly committee meetings--increased from two a year--is just one of several new programs to bridge the communications gap between the home and classroom.

Dana Huffman, a Meiners Oaks Elementary School teacher, apologized for her Spanish-speaking skills and then almost fluently told the parents how eager the teachers are to receive calls about their children’s progress. The schools have more bilingual aides and teachers now than in past years, she said.

Sergio Robles, principal of Topa Topa Elementary School, said the schools are sending home more Spanish-printed materials to help parents understand their role in the learning process.

A Ventura Community College representative talked about the classes and services available to students out of high school. Aguirre said many parents are unaware of the variety of services and scholarships available to their children.

Assistant Supt. Pamela A. Martens said the formal committee--composed of about 10 volunteer parents, district teachers, administrators and bilingual aides--is mandated by state law for school districts with more than 151 pupils of limited English-speaking ability.

The Ojai district has 183 such students, which is 8% of the 3,573 students enrolled in nine schools. All but three of them speak Spanish at home. Two speak Korean and one speaks Portuguese.