Charter Schools are Working Hard to Spark Cultural Connections for K-12 Students in California
National Hispanic Heritage Month came to a close on October 15. Yet, I continue to reflect on California’s origins, its cultural identity, and how the state continues to evolve based on demographic shifts.
Currently, the Golden State has the largest Latino population in the United States, with more than 15.5 million people claiming Latino heritage, according to the Pew Research Center.
As for me, I am to be proud to be a Latina and Mexicana in this great state.
My rich heritage has taught me to live by set of values centered on hope, faith, family, and cultural roots — a sense of who we are and finding purpose in that belonging.
That is why as leader of the California Charter Schools Association, one of the largest public charter schools membership organizations in the country, it is critically important that our schools embrace inclusivity and diversity, as well as offer all students a way to connect with their own roots and feel that sense of belonging through culturally relevant curricula.
Take, for example, Aspen Valley Prep Academy in Fresno — a charter school where nearly 65% students identify as Latino.
Mary Nixon, the school’s visual arts teacher, continues to expose her students to a wealth of culturally relevant books in which the main characters are Latinx, despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
As part of her culturally inclusive lesson plan, Nixon presented to her kindergarten class the vibrantly illustrated children’s book, Danza!: Amalia Hernández and El Ballet Folklórico de México, written by award-winning author and illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh.
Amalia Hernandez was a Mexican ballet choreographer and founder of the world-renowned Ballet Folklórico de México. Tonatiuh’s picture book is sweet portrayal of Hernandez’s life as a child watching folk dancers in the town square:
The way they stomped and swayed to the rhythm of the beat inspired her. She knew one day she would become a dancer… She began traveling through the Mexican countryside, witnessing the dances of many regions, and she used her knowledge of ballet and modern dance to adapt the traditional dances to the stage. She founded her own dance company, a group that became known as el Ballet Folklórico de México.
After Nixon presented his book to the class, she was thrilled to see how many students identified with and related to the characters and culture in the book. Nixon related that one student even asked if she could show off her folklórico dancing outfit:
“At the end of our Zoom class, I had students that were so excited saying, ‘My mom does folklórico too!’ … It was so charming and enlightening and warm to get that reaction.”
What Nixon saw was the result of thoughtful action by the school leadership to recommend that she implement culturally relevant elements to lessons. The U.S Department of Education recently recognized such an approach in awarding a multimillion-dollar grant to Semillas Sociedad Civil, another California non-profit that operates charter schools. Semillas Sociedad Civil is going to use the grant to implement culturally-relevant education and enrichment services for Native American students and parents through the American Indian Resurgence (AIR) Initiative: Uplifting Native Voice and Native Choice in Los Angeles.
I know that leadership in charter school organizations like Semillas Sociedad Civil and Valley Preparatory Academy are working hard to spark those kinds of cultural connections within the classroom on a daily basis. To those educators I say, siempre adelante! (always forward!).
And for all my brothers and sisters who claim Latino heritage in this country — whether you identify as Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Afro Latino, Chicano, Mexicano, Salvadoreño, Peruano, Puertoriqueño, Guatemaltecas, Ecuatorianas or Nicaragüenses — our faith in building community amongst and between us is an integral part of the rich tapestry that our United States represents.
Ours is a history of struggle, of overcoming, of pride, and community that, more than ever in this day and age is important to celebrate and embrace.
Myrna Castrejon is president and CEO of the California Charters Schools Association (CCSA). She has managed the membership organization representing California’s public charter schools since January 2019.
