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Hispanic Catholics in Catholic Schools. Hosffman Ospino, PhD
Читать онлайн.Название Hispanic Catholics in Catholic Schools
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781612789576
Автор произведения Hosffman Ospino, PhD
Жанр Словари
Издательство Ingram
St. Matthew implemented TWI in kindergarten and added a grade each year. In 2013 they became one of the founding schools of TWIN-CS. Today grades K-6 are all bilingual. The population of the school has grown to over 200 students (25%) and the principal reports “test scores are going up each year.” Students proudly speak two languages, and serve as ambassadors of welcome and encouragement. Families realize that St. Matthew’s bilingual seeds will blossom into an advantage as students move toward higher education.
Risen Christ in Minneapolis, MN
Risen Christ in Minneapolis, MN, advances its mission by the implementation of two-way immersion. During the last decade, the Catholic school’s student population steadily grew in its diversity. In 2013 76% of its students spoke languages other than English as their native tongue. School leaders were intent on finding the best methods to support the academic experiences of students learning English. The search led Risen Christ to apply to the Two-Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools, which allowed it to reaffirm its commitment to accessibility for all families.
The school launched its first bilingual classroom in 2014. Today children excel as students in Spanish and English. Enrollment has increased 8%. Liz Ramsey, principal at Risen Christ, recently walked into the first grade classroom and observed two students sitting in the reading corner, each with a copy of the same book in Spanish. As they read, one paused and asked the other for help with a Spanish word: “¿Qué es esto?” (What is it?). The other stopped, answered in English, and then together they practiced the Spanish pronunciation before returning to their reading. One of the students is Caucasian and speaks English at home. The other is Ethiopian and speaks Amharic with her family. Both are learning Spanish and English while preparing to become adult leaders in a multilingual and pluralistic world.
Fostering a Welcoming Environment for Hispanic Children and Their Families
Schools deeply grounded in the mission of Catholic education while consistently embracing the realities of today’s diverse student populations will succeed long into the future. Many school leaders in this study demonstrated that it is possible to do this by making intentional efforts to expand curricular, liturgical, and community building practices as their institutions welcome Hispanic families. Aware that appropriate resources and talent are needed to build an inclusive future, these leaders clearly understand that if Catholic schools are to remain vibrant and relevant there is no alternative.
Reimagining Catholic School Cultures
Overall, the data from our research confirms that the Catholic Church and its school communities in the United States continue to lag significantly behind in the process of decisively adjusting to the new Hispanic Catholic student demographics. It is imperative that we transform school environments so that the cultures that shape Church and society in our day joyfully meet and share genuine hospitality. This requires an examination of fundamental—often inherited—working assumptions that student differences are deficits rather than assets. The still-prevalent “deficit mentality” demands that we assess and immediately adjust classroom practices as well as the ways in which we fail to sincerely honor the culture, race, and ethnicity of our students and their families in the life of the school. For instance, instead of having students leave the classroom for “pull-out” or “remedial” programs, we must invest in strategies that affirm students’ differences to keep them included. New attitudes about differences as “gifts” will lead to creative practices that will embrace and incorporate the rich influences of Hispanic cultures in American history, literature, art, prayer life, and liturgies. Language differences will be welcomed and many more U.S. Catholics might even become bilingual.
If our school environments are not truly welcoming, it will be very difficult to celebrate the gift of difference that all students and their families bring to the Catholic educational experience. If Hispanic Catholic families perceive that they are welcomed with all they bring, they will likely look at Catholic schools as a strong option for the education of their children.
Interculturally Competent Approaches to Catholic School Leadership Development
As the Church in the United States becomes increasingly diverse, it is necessary that Catholic school leaders and teachers develop the necessary intercultural competencies to better advance their mission. Arch/diocesan offices and university- based training programs can play a major role in this regard. New teachers and administrators preparing to work in Catholic schools, particularly in contexts where Hispanics and new immigrant groups are present, should be expected to become interculturally competent. Professional training programs must demonstrate that the curriculum is preparing educators to meet the needs of today’s Church and society vis-à-vis cultural diversity. Arch/dioceses can offer ongoing formation programs that introduce Catholic school personnel to Hispanic culture and religiosity. Bilingual leaders and teachers are vital to serve in a Church that in many regions, especially the regions where it is growing faster, is a de facto bilingual and bicultural reality. A very small percentage of principals, and an even smaller percentage of teachers and board members identified in this study, are Hispanic. This reality calls for critical conversations: how do we support the capable work of current Catholic school leaders and teachers as they welcome more Hispanic families? How can we be certain that the next generation of Catholic school personnel is prepared to serve well in an increasingly Hispanic Church? Who is developing the required resources and programs for Catholic school leaders and teachers? How will the leadership of the Church work with Hispanic families to partner with leaders and teachers to build a stronger Catholic school experience?
Working Together for Change
Because Catholic education remains deeply rooted in the life of the Church, now is the time for Catholic bishops to intensify their efforts in partnering with Catholic universities and other organizations to address the challenges just described. Given the current demographic realities, investment and support must be established for leadership programs that attract educators and school leaders who are bilingual and bicultural, and in particular those who are Hispanic. Also, this is the time to seriously assess traditional school governance structures, expand board recruitment strategies, and craft inclusive planning agendas emphasizing the educational needs of school-age Hispanic children. This may well establish a new set of priorities for the Church in the United States and for further university research and programming. ■
Questions for Dialogue and Reflection
1. What must your school, parish, dioceses or organization do cultivate Catholic school teachers and administrators who are Hispanic and/or bilingual?
2. How can we collaborate with our Catholic schools to develop cultures in them that are sincerely welcoming to Hispanic families and students?
3. What do you think about the unique value of two-way immersion Catholic schools? Name a few strategies to communicate the good news about this model in your own professional and ministerial circles.
Section II: Students and Their Families
“Partnership between a Catholic school and the families of the students must continue and be strengthened: not simply to be able to deal with academic problems that may arise, but rather so that the educational goals of the school can be achieved.”
—Congregation for Catholic Education, The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School (1988), n. 42
Hispanic Students in the United States
Ninety-three percent of all Hispanic/Latinos younger than 18 were born in the United States.
The vast majority of Hispanic students are enrolled in public schools. National data indicates that 96% of all school-age Hispanic children attend public schools, just over 2% are enrolled in Catholic schools, and 1.5% attend private, non-Catholic schools.
FIGURE