It is not an exaggeration to say that the future of public schools in North Carolina depends largely on the Latino community. For years, many school systems have experienced a decline in student numbers, but thanks to the growth of Latinos, the student count remains stable. Despite this, our students and their families face numerous challenges. What does the 2023-2024 school year have in store for us?
Latinos: present and future
In the last 15 years, fewer families in North Carolina have been having children, and those who do are increasingly opting for alternatives to the public education system. Year after year, the number of students in private schools, charter schools, and home schooling is growing, especially post-pandemic.
While the number of white and African American students in public schools has declined in recent years, there is one group that is consistently growing: Latinos. In Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), which is home to the largest number of Latino students in the state, we see that since 2020, there have been more Latino students than White students in these schools.
At the start of the 2022-2023 school year, CMS enrolled 41,640 students who identified as Latino, nearly one-third (29.5%) of all students. This is significant growth compared to the 2010-2011 school year, when 16% (22,221) of CMS students were Latino.
Left behind
With this clear trend, one might assume that CMS is investing economic, human, and educational resources in this group, since the success of Latino students is directly linked to the future of the school system. However, that is not the reality.
In 2021, after a year of remote learning, 85% of Latino students in CMS did not achieve the reading score considered an indicator of their future success, and 87% scored below expectations in math.
In 2022, the group with the lowest graduation rate was English language learners (65%), followed by Latinos (73.8%). What is the reason for this?
The language barrier
A child’s academic success depends on both the school and how involved the student’s family is in their learning process. The issue is that many Latino families face significant obstacles, from inflexible work schedules and lack of knowledge about the system, to difficulties communicating with their children’s school, especially if they do not speak English.
There is a clear shortage of teachers in schools, and this is compounded by a significant need for Spanish-speaking staff and a lack of representation. Although Latinos account for almost a third of CMS students, only 2% of teachers are Latino.
One reason is the lack of incentives for bilingual staff. While county employees and workers such as firefighters and police officers receive a bonus for knowing a language other than English, there are no such incentives at CMS. How can we expect to retain school staff who could bridge the gap with Latino families?
In search of “Esperanza”
The landscape becomes more complex with a pending bill that expands a scholarship program to favor private schools at the expense of public ones. Despite all this, we want to believe that there is hope.
In the new school year, CMS will inaugurate its first school with a Spanish name: Esperanza Global Academy. Hopefully, this is a sign that the school system is looking to serve a community that is vital to its survival.