I've been following a local non profit that works in the Latino community.

[EFerrari]

It looks like it's an interfaith community but one that draws on everyone it can get its hands on. They take on all kinds of projects I support including divestment from the big banks. They led the effort here locally, and pulled millions of dollars out of Wells Fargo by mounting a huge campaign in the churches.

Well, last week I got an email about a community meeting to help out a middle school. Buried in all the information was the fact that only 3 in 10 Latino kids are graduating from middle school in this district. And they are 51% of the student population. It made me ill.

I don't know what to do except for once, not to barge in with my elbows out. This morning I'm poking around to get some info on the district. Maybe it has a tutoring program I can help with while I get to know who the opinion leaders are and what their plan is.

[leveymg]

1. Call our local School Board rep. (S)he can suggest 12 ways you can help, I'm sure.

Thanks for pitching in on schools issues. It's probably the single greatest difference we can make as individuals on the local level.

[EFerrari]

2. Good idea. I will do that. n/t

[EFerrari]

5. Okay, so I left voice/ email for the rep.

Found a Latino news site that would post dispatches on our story (when I figure out what the heck it is).

Also found out, it looks like there's nothing here over the Summer for kids in this district. Damn. When I was in elementary school, we could take music or an arts class along with academic stuff in summer school.

But also figured out, I have a hook for the district. We board horses here. And we can give active students passes to ride if the district can hook me up with their summer program or allow me to organize a modest one for the most at risk guys.

So much to filter but, that's what I came up with this morning.

[msongs]

3. maybe you can ask the parents why they allow this in their families

no doubt schools have a role in this but the baseline is family support for their kids and the schools so until families value school not much will change.

[EFerrari]

4. If parents were running this district, I would do just that.

Instead, I think I need to find out if there is summer enrichment and how to help that because kids lose some over the summer. It's a starting point, anyway.