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Latino Parents Sound Off on the Economy and Education in Poll

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Pic The Gallo

Pic The Gallo

The National Parents Union and UnidosUS partnered to release a new poll of Latino parents during UnidosUS’s 2023 Annual Conference. The survey shows that Latino parents want the economy, gun violence, crime and public safety, and education to be the focus of American politicians and policymakers – they strongly support bilingual education, culturally reflective educators, and schools and are not fixated on political tactics like book banning. While Latino parents said they trust Democrats more than twice as much as they trust Republicans on handling education issues 33% vs. 15%, the findings also show that both parties have work to do with Latino parents to build trust.

The poll found that Latino parents, regardless of party identification or income, overwhelmingly support several federal actions that, if implemented, could ease families’financial burdens and unlock educational opportunities for children:

• 92% support providing free lunch at school for all K-12 public school students

• 88% support funding for lowincome students graduating from high school to receive one free year of college classes or career training

• 86% support funding directly to families to help them pay for additional academic support (e.g., tutoring outside of school)

• 84% support reinstating the Child Tax Credit to give families monthly checks of $300 per child under the age of six and $250 per child age six or older • 84% support funding directly to families of public school students to help them pay for additional mental health support for their children (e.g., counseling outside of school) When it comes to education, 61% of Latino parents said they want big changes or a complete overhaul of the U.S. education system. Approximately twothirds (64%) think that their children’s schools should be doing more to help students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic catch up, with a majority of parents emphasizing tutoring, after-school and summer programs. Additionally, more than half (55%) said schools need to do more to support students’ mental health.

Parents strongly value cultural competency, a representative teacher core, and dual language programs. Only about half (56%) of parents say their child’s school offers a bilingual, language immersion, or dual-language learning program, and of the 26% who didn’t have this option, an overwhelming 78% say they would likely enroll their child in one of these programs if it was offered, showing there is strong demand for bilingual education.

75% of parents agree that it is important to have teachers at their children’s schools whose backgrounds reflect the racial and cultural diversity of their communities.

Only 15% of Latino parents think they should have the power to prevent all students at their child’s school from having access to the curriculum. More than half (52%) say that if they object to school curriculum or reading materials that conflict with their personal beliefs, they should only be able to have their own child opt out.

Eric Rodriguez, UnidosUS Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, sums up the findings, “As parents around the country get ready to send their children back to school, this poll shows that Latino parents are focused on real pressing issues that impact their children’s development and learning. They want and expect policymakers from all parties to pay attention and prioritize the needs of Latino students and their families. These include more support for postpandemic academic recovery, English language learners, and mental health resources – they are not interested in divisive and unhelpful issues like book banning that make a lot of noise but do nothing to advance educational progress.”

“Latino parents are making it clear to school leaders and policymakers that they must do more to support students in their journeys toward a brighter future,” said Keri Rodrigues, co-founder and President of the National Parents Union.

“That means offering more career- oriented classes, investing in mental health resources, and prioritizing funding for low-income families so they can access additional academic support. There’s no more guessing where Latino parents stand on these key issues– now it’s time to act.”

Justice Department Sues TX over a Floating Barrier in Rio Grande

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Texas and its Republican governor for placing buoys in the Rio Grande as part of the state's effort to deter migrants from crossing into the United States.

The civil suit said Gov. Greg Abbott violated federal law by installing the barrier and asked a judge to order the defendants to "promptly remove the unauthorized obstruction" at their own expense.

The lawsuit cites the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899, which bars the “creation of any obstruction not affirmatively authorized by Congress, to the navigable capacity of any of the waters of the United States.”

It also alleges that Abbott had failed to obtain a permit through the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers before installing the barrier in the Rio Grande as required by federal law.

The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which comes after the Justice Department last month notified Abbott of its intent to sue unless Texas acted to remove the buoys, arguing that the barrier endangered public safety and could obstruct the federal government’s official duties, among other concerns.

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