New radio spot on Univision

This is the new TV spot for Univision-Austin. Enjoy! The radio show is doing great. To date, we have been heard over 70,000 times. Great feedback and amazing response from the community. Keep watching...we will do more great things in 2013.

AISD Launches Educa Austin con Alex Sánchez

Austin, TX—The Austin Independent School District is reaching out to an increasingly diverse parent and student population through one of the most popular media for Spanish speakers: radio. This Saturday, AISD's Department of Public Relations and Multicultural Outreach will launch Educa Austin con Alex Sánchez, a weekend radio talk show designed to better engage Spanish-dominant families by eliminating language and cultural barriers.

The hour-long talk show will air at 7 a.m. Saturday on La Jefa, 107.7 FM, and at 9 a.m. Sunday on La Que Buena, 104.3 FM. AISD collaborated with private funders such as The Sooch Foundation, H-E-B and the MATT Foundation to launch this pilot program.

Approximately 60 percent of AISD students are Hispanic and 30,000 students speak Spanish at home. Through strategic radio programming, AISD will reach Spanish-dominant families, who on average listen to radio approximately seven to nine hours a day.

"Increased parental engagement is a key part of the district's strategic plan," Meria Carstarphen, AISD Superintendent, said. "This is an incredible opportunity to rethink how we communicate and engage all of our communities in an authentic and relevant way."

Educa Austin is designed to help families navigate Austin's public education system, empowering parents to become more effective advocates for their children's education. The informative and entertaining show highlights educational news and promotes information about school programs and activities and district initiatives.

"Research shows parental involvement has strong, positive effects on student achievement and success," Alex Sánchez, director of the Department of Public Relations and Multicultural Outreach, said. "There is no doubt that when parents are engaged in their children's education, daily attendance improves, students' grades and test scores go up and overall graduation rates increase."

The show is based on a similar show Sánchez launched in Denver, which earned national recognition for its innovative format and benefits to the community.

To learn more about Educa Austin, please visit www.austinisd.org/radio.

REPORTAJE » Español Poderoso

 

(Liliana Valenzuela, !ahora si!)

Con Maestro en casa y programa de radio, Alex quiere cambiar la educación
Por Liliana Valenzuela
¡ahora sí!

Alex Sánchez desea transformar la educación en Austin. Quiere que los padres de familia participen más activamente en la educación de sus hijos y está dispuesto a llevar su mensaje adonde ellos estén, en su idioma, a través de las ondas de la radio. El programa ‘Educa con Alex Sánchez’ divertirá, informará y ofrecerá un espacio para el diálogo, según Sánchez.

A pesar de sus escasos 31 años de edad, el nuevo director del Distrito Escolar de Austin (AISD), tiene las ganas, la energía y la visión para hacer cambios de raíz y querer conectar más a los padres de habla hispana con AISD.

Sánchez, director del Departamento de Relaciones Públicas y Enlace Multicultural, desea que cada padre de familia se comprometa a que su hijo o hija termine la preparatoria y siga adelante con su educación universitaria. Y lo desea para los 90,000 estudiantes del AISD, pero en especial para los 30,000 estudiantes que hablan español y cuyos padres muchas veces no saben cómo aprovechar los recursos que ofrecen AISD y la ciudad de Austin, dice.

Para remediar esta carencia de información y participación, Sánchez ha llegado desde Denver, donde trabajó en el distrito escolar urbano más grande de Colorado, con mucho ímpetu y nuevas ideas. Licenciado en Administración Pública y de Empresas por la Universidad Estatal de Colorado en Fort Collins, Sánchez fue contratado por la superintendente Meria Carstaphen en 2011 por sus ideas para comunicarse mejor con los padres de familia, como lo había demostrado en Denver, donde impulsó programas innovadores como un programa de radio de 2009 a 2011 como el que quiere echar a andar en Austin.

En Denver “más de 6,000 personas apoyaron eventos específicos en seis meses”, como resultado del programa de radio, dice Sánchez. También se duplicó el número de llamadas de los padres hispanoparlantes a las líneas telefónicas centrales del distrito, así como aumentó drásticamente el número de padres que participaban en talleres, expos, eventos, conferencias con maestros, ferias informativas, de salud y reuniones de regreso a clases, agrega.

Ahora quiere probar este programa de radio en Austin. AISD tiene más de 120 escuelas, en las que se habla más de 80 idiomas distintos, pero como el español es el idioma predominante, empezará por ahí, como una manera de conectarse con los padres de familia inmigrantes y ayudarlos a que sus hijos triunfen en este país. El programa radial sale al aire el 26 de mayo, según funcionarios de AISD.

Cambios en AISD
El programa piloto de Lenguaje Dual, que comenzó en 2010, ha sido un éxito en primarias como Becker y Wooten, y el distrito tiene planes de expandirlo a tres escuelas más como Galindo y Casey, a nueve en total para el año escolar de 2012-2013.

El año pasado también hubo una reducción de personal y AISD despidió a más de mil maestros y personal administrativo y de apoyo, debido a la falta de fondos, resultado de la Asamblea Legislativa de 2011. Pero como parte de esa reorganización, este joven administrador intenta ahora otros enfoques para que la comunidad, sean o no padres de familia, se involucre más en la educación de los pequeños. ¡ahora sí! conversó con Sánchez sobre el programa radial y otros proyectos.

¡ahora sí! ¿De dónde eres?
Soy de un pueblito de Jalisco, le voy a las Chivas. Me mudé a Colorado con mis padres cuando tenía 10 años, así que conozco bien la vida de los inmigrantes. Fui el primero de mi familia en terminar la preparatoria y hacer una carrera universitaria.

Cuéntanos del nuevo programa de radio ‘Educa con Alex Sánchez” de AISD
Va a ser un programa divertido, de temas de interés como la educación pública, inmigración, salud, entretenimiento y va a haber regalos.

Queremos que el público participe, se entretenga y aprenda sobre cómo obtener una mejor calidad de educación para tener una mejor vida.

Nuestras comunidades escuchan la radio todo el día, en sus hogares, trabajos, en el coche, la radio siempre nos acompaña, así que por qué no llevar nuestro mensaje allí.

En este programa les vamos a enseñar cómo navegar los sistemas de este país, que muchas veces son distintos, cómo manejar esas burocracias para poder aprovechar los recursos, servicios y programas que hay disponibles.

¿Dónde van a grabar el programa?
En los estudios de Univision Radio, quienes están colaborando con nosotros. El público, aún sin haber lanzado el proyecto todavía, tiene un interés intenso. Los padres de familia reconocerán a algunas personalidades de la radio, como Melisa “La Chilanga” Vásquez, [locutora de la 107.1 FM “La Zeta”]. Ella y yo seremos los conductores y traeremos a invitados especiales.

¿Cuánto va a costar el programa radial?
Es un proyecto muy progresivo, tendremos presupuesto gubernamental, de la industria privada como los supermercados H-E-B, y de fundaciones educativas como Sooch [de Austin] y Mexican and Americans Thinking Together (MATT). Y vamos a agregar a más personas y entidades que nos quieren ayudar.

¿Cómo van a medir la eficacia de ‘Educa’?
Se va a ver basado en la respuesta del público, si nos sintonizan, si empiezan a participar más en la educación de sus hijos. Si se involucran, si comparten sus experiencias con nosotros, si les ayuda la información.

Cuéntanos de otro proyecto, ‘Maestro en casa’.
Es un programa muy innovador, tuvimos el piloto en Denver, con el apoyo de MATT, la misma fundación que apoyó el programa en Austin.

Teníamos cupo para 1,000 personas, pero el primer día se incribieron 1,700, así que teníamos a 700 en lista de espera. Cuando conseguimos fondos adicionales, pudimos dar cabida a las 1,700.

Ellas muy pronto tendrán sus exámenes, y todo el que complete el curso recibirá un certificado.

El inglés es muy importante, todo inmigrante quiere poder comunicarse con más personas, pero ‘Maestro en casa’ también enseña a los padres sobre las diferencias de este país, como por ejemplo el sistema bancario, por qué es importante abrir una cuenta bancaria y no sólo guardar el dinero bajo un colchón, o el sistema de salud, el educativo y otros. Es obvio que la necesidad es grande.

¿Cuál ha sido el reto más grande que has enfrentado este año?
Crear una nueva dependencia dentro de AISD lleva tiempo y muchas gestiones administrativas, así que en lo personal he tenido que ser muy paciente.

Toma meses contratar personal, establecer funciones, conseguir fondos del presupuesto escolar y privados, y era frustrante no poder empezar con los programas.

Pero en esta segunda etapa ya estamos listos para atender a las necesidades del pueblo.

Otro reto es crear programas igual de creativos e innovadores para las familias afroamericanas, vietnamitas, anglosajonas del distrito.

Si pudieras cambiar algo con una varita mágica, ¿qué cambiarías?
El futuro de la educación pública, el futuro de este estado, de este país está en manos de los hispanoparlantes.

¿Vamos a estar preparados para tomar las riendas como profesionistas, empresarios, representantes políticos? En unos años vamos a ser la minoría mayoría. Tenemos el talento pero necesitamos la educación.

¿Qué lección aprendiste de tus padres?
Mis padres me inculcaron desde muy chico, como hijo de inmigrantes, crucé la frontera con ellos, que con ganas, con compromiso, no hay nada que no se pueda lograr.

————————————

¿Qué es este programa radial?
Educa con Álex Sánchez es un programa ameno y divertido los fines de semana. Habrá premios y regalos, así como personalidades invitadas para hablar de muchos temas de interés.

¿Y qué aprenderán los padres?
Aprenderán cómo navegar los sistemas de este país, tales como la educación, los bancos, la salud y la inmigración. También aprenderán sobre sus derechos y responsabilidades, y nuevas maneras de apoyar a sus hijos.

Dónde se escucha:
Sábados de 7 a 8 a.m. en 107.7FM La Jefa y domingos de 9 a 10 a.m. 104.3FM La qué buena

Cuándo empieza:
A fines de mayo

Detalles:
414-9832 ó bit.ly/KaoISI

AISD to Reach Hispanic Parents on the Radio

 

Alex Sanchez has done radio outreach before. Photos by Austin ISD; Nathan Bernier/KUT News; and Chrissy Polcino at flickr.com/pudstah/

April 17, 2012 5:36 am by: Nathan Bernier

The Austin school district is developing a new way to reach parents who don’t speak English.

Two-thirds of Austin ISD students are Hispanic, and more than half of those kids speak Spanish at home. Sometimes their parents are reluctant to get involved with the campus or the district, according to Alex Sanchez, AISD’s director of public relations and multicultural outreach.

Sanchez faced a similar challenge when working for Denver public schools and realized how he could reach those parents at home.

“As a community in Denver, we recognized that Spanish-dominant adults listen to radio, on average, seven to nine hours a day,” Sanchez said. “So commercial Spanish radio meant an opportunity for the school district to begin doing some very intentional and strategic work.”
Sanchez started a daily hourlong call-in radio show on one of Denver’s Spanish-language stations. And now he wants to do the same thing here.

The district hopes to get money from corporate underwriters or foundations to help pay for it. But AISD would still have to shell out about $60,000 a year for the program.

Sanchez says they would gauge the success of the show using the same metrics they did in Denver.

The radio show would be one of several AISD programs that aim to engage Spanish-speaking parents. This year the district started a program to teach English to 1,000 parents in their homes.

A Mission To Communicate

AISD's new outreach director has a big job ahead: telling the district's story and getting the district to listen to the response

By Richard Whittaker, Fri., Nov. 11, 2011

Alex Sanchez

Photo by Jana Birchum

• A Mission To Communicate

  Austin ISD's new multicultural, multitasking outreach director has a big job ahead: telling the district's story and getting the district to listen to the response

  BY RICHARD WHITTAKER

• Bridging the Language Gap

  A Q&A with AISD Public Relations & Multicultural Outreach Director Alex Sanchez

  BY RICHARD WHITTAKER

For a young man, the Austin Independent School District's Director of Public Relations & Multicultural Outreach Alex Sanchez has already had a varied career. Since 2004 he has crafted PR strategies for pharma giant Pfizer, taken a shot at the Colorado state Senate, and held two senior positions with the Denver Public Schools.

Perhaps surprisingly, Denver schools have a lot in common with AISD. Both are large urban districts, enrolling around 80,000 students; both are majority-minority, with nearly 60% Hispanic students; and both have large groups of English-language learners and a large poor population. But after a lifetime in the Rocky Mountains, Sanchez is now acclimating to Austin's peculiar and storied educational culture. He said, "Just as there is a student achievement gap, there is a communications gap, there is an engagement gap."

His new Department of Public Relations & Multicultural Outreach is one of the most significant structural changes to district operations since Superintendent Meria Carstarphen took over in 2009. When San­chez formally joined the district on July 1, he took on the leadership of an idea of a department. On one side will be the traditional press office, and on the other, there's community and family outreach. A year ago, there were two separate offices: Plan­ning and Community Relations under Executive Director Janis Guerrero and Communication Services under Director Andy Welch. Two years later, Guerrero (who died earlier this year) and Welch (who took retirement) are both gone, and in their stead is Sanchez's new combined shop.

This restructuring was a deliberate decision. When Carstarphen launched her "reduction in force," or RIF, in November 2010, it was sold as a necessary cost-saving exercise. However, 88 of the 1,153 positions she asked the board of trustees for permission to cut were actually part of an administrative reorganization. Of those 88, eight were from the press desk – all in the name of freeing up cash to create a new department.

In theory, the idea was to debalkanize those offices and their functions and create a cohesive, coherent agency that can both speak more clearly and listen better. While Sanchez said he's aiming for better press relations, he said, "Your weekly publication or the daily here in town should not be the employee newsletter." Instead, he wants to overhaul everything – from better staff email newsletters to more community meetings. Sanchez said, "Our intent is to increase the number of messages about school, about school reform, about the urgency of being an engaged parent."

The structure of the office remains in flux. When it was first proposed in March of this year, the organizational chart showed 19 positions for the 2011-2012 school year. As of mid-October, there were 14 filled positions, but there's also been turnover: Since the beginning of the school year, at least two members of Sanchez's shop – including Roxanne Evans, the last survivor of the old press office – have quit the district. By late Octo­ber, there were seven positions still being advertised, including two assistant directorships – one for Communications and one for Community Engagement & Multi­cul­tur­al Outreach. Neither of those positions appeared on the original chart, and both come with hefty price tags: up to $95,000 in salaries each, plus benefits. Explaining the changes, Sanchez said his first month on the job had been about filling existing vacancies and then looking for gaps. "I made my recommendations to the administration in terms of the right structure, and we're in year one of that," he said. "We've been able to restructure the shop; we've been able to re-evaluate the vacancies, change those vacancies to fit the new structure."

Ambition and Reality

The design of the new department will be driven in part by its expanded mission, in part by the old troubles of language barriers and the digital divide, and in part by the toolbox Sanchez wants to use.

Some of it is simple and obvious ("We know that the backpacks of kids are the best dissemination channels," Sanchez said), but some of it may take some invention. One reason the district hired him was because of his innovative approach to using local media. In Denver he hosted Educa, a weekly one-hour Spanish-language radio show paid for by Denver Public Schools and carried by three of the city's largest Spanish-language commercial stations. From a Latino community engagement perspective, it was an obvious choice. Sanchez said, "We know that Spanish-dominant adults listen to the radio on average seven hours a day." In Denver, those stations were the Top 3 in the ratings, while in Austin the biggest Spanish station is only No. 7, but Sanchez still sees this as an exciting new avenue for outreach. "Whereas you and I might tune in going to and from work – drive time – the average Spanish-dominant adult listens throughout the day."

However, whether it be more tweets or more multilingual publications, the goal remains the same: more parents and more stakeholders who know what's going on in the district and in their local schools. For his department to work, Sanchez says, it cannot be operating in a bubble. "It takes hiring communicators, not just hiring interpreters," he said. "In the short term, you can do interpretation and translation, but the long-term strategy needs to be getting into a place where you're able to recruit and retain that talent that can engage, communicate, run schools, teach, and all that good stuff." That may be a bigger challenge than it sounds. While 27.4% of AISD's student population is classified as having limited English proficiency, many students cannot speak Spanish well either. The district encompasses a growing Asian population, as well as migrants, immigrants, and refugees from around the world, meaning Sanchez's office cannot simply print fliers in English and Spanish then presume its job is done. He said: "If the system is not prepared to engage a Vietnamese-dominant parent, and if the system is not able to ensure that parent has a successful experience and is really able to participate, then that's where you're going to get into the challenges. Because we're frustrating that parent, and we've probably lost that parent."

The plan indeed sounds ambitious and idealistic. Moreover, during this year's reduction in force, the district has cut back dramatically on frontline contacts by shedding 44 campus-based parent support specialists and coordinators. They specialized in the kind of face-to-face engagement that Sanchez's shop now has to take on. There are only 56 specialists left – significantly more than the 12 he had in Denver – but if schools are to emphasize community engagement and outreach, then even the pre-RIF numbers would not have been enough. Sanchez said: "I would like to see every school have a peer person, a community engagement person, a parent-support specialist, and probably a resource advocate, someone whose whole job is to get businesses and nonprofits to help all those kids with all their needs outside of what they need to learn. Housing, shelter, food, social emotional needs, all that other stuff. But the reality is that, given Texas' budget challenges and given Austin's budget challenges, that may not be a reality."

The press and outreach budget has been a particular public sore point, especially when there have been big district checks cut to external consultants. Take the open wound that was the Facility Master Plan Task Force process: AISD paid Ohio-based consultants DeJong-Richter $893,796 to run the community outreach section of the process, plus an extra $37,642 to local PR firm Hahn, Texas.

What it got for its money was a major black eye and a furious community. For the moment, Sanchez expects outside PR firms to remain important in projects like bond elections, but he offered his own "two cents on consultants. There's a place and a time for an agency to come in and help you with strategy, or to help with short-term projects. In my business, I typically look at them not necessarily as consultants but independent contractors." For example, in Denver he produced newsletters in Arabic but could not justify hiring a full-time Arabic specialist. Instead, he turned to freelancers. He said: "It's three times a year; you get into a contract, and that's cost-effective for me. But anything that's costing me more than a full-time employee, I have to say, 'Gosh, could I get that plus more if we were to invest those dollars internally to increase our own capacity?'"

Is Anybody Listening?

So how will anyone know if Sanchez's new department is doing a good job? For Place 9 trustee Tamala Barksdale, the key is what she called reaching "often unreached populations." As vice president of Envi­ro­Med­ia Social Marketing, her run for the board played strongly on her professional experience in PR and creating messages. She said, "With a robust multicultural outreach program ... it's about making sure you're checking all the boxes and making sure all the stakeholders feel included." While Barksdale said she is not tracking the structural or staffing changes within the department, she is keeping a weather eye on the office's effectiveness. She said she already saw one positive sign – more publications in Spanish – but added that she's more interested in results than the tools for achieving them. Her metric for the department's success will be very simple: how many parents, families, and stakeholders turn up for meetings. Again, another positive sign: About 300 people attended each of the first two on-campus meetings about the superintendent's annual facility recommendations. "Turnout at these in-district meetings was far beyond what I would have expected," she said.

That should be good news for Sanchez, because he will need trustee support as he retools and readjusts his department. Mem­bers of the board have already said they'll be scrutinizing the number and cost of any new positions to see if they are really getting value for money. After all, they laid off several long-term and popular employees to enable the creation of this new shop; it had better be worth it. Barksdale said she will happily approve the Public Relations & Multicultural Outreach hiring budget "if these new positions can help reach out to people, especially with less parental support on campus."

Justifying high salaries like those assistant directorships shortly after massive teacher layoffs is undoubtedly a tough sell. Yet Sanchez argued that even with every position filled, compared with other districts, his office might be understaffed. "Have you looked at Dallas? They have about 72 people," he said. "Operating budget? Five million dollars, and that's to do publications. How many marketing people do you think they have in Dallas, just to roll out publications? Thirty-six. How many marketing people do I have? Zero, and I'm not even proposing a marketing position." Similarly, Sanchez's office will be dwarfed by the city of Austin's PR and community outreach machines. He said: "What cities do is that they embed public affairs people. But if you were to take all of those functions and put them all in one, you will see their structure. But because they embed them into these agencies, it's not reflected in the Mayor's Office."

Finding a Narrative

However, while Sanchez tries to expand his contact list, he must still address the groups and individuals already at the table. He has frankly inherited a lot of bad blood, as the days of the media being what former Superintendent Pat Forgione dubbed "critical friends" to the district are gone, or at least in suspension. Carstarphen's initially friendly relationship with the local press corps has degraded fast, and journalists from outside of Austin who dealt with her in St. Paul, Minn., and Washington, D.C., report they went through the same experience: a brief honeymoon period, then an increasingly combative and insular attitude from her administration.

The changes have been subtle but carry a serious impact on news gathering. Response times for press requests have slowed, and more members of the administration have become unavailable for interviews, or else those interviews have been shortened or held under restricted circumstances. Press department staff have been increasingly sidelined as requests for information are either focused through the superintendent's office or simply reclassified and redirected as "open records" requests – which, again, go through the superintendent's office. Quickly returned phone calls on standard information have become 10-day waits for formal requests to be processed. Meanwhile, Sanchez's staff have been burning daylight on a flurry of feel-good press releases, rather than answering press queries. The result is a tense relationship, expressed most publicly through increasingly critical Austin American-Statesman editorials and the blow-up over Carstarphen's attempt to embargo information about the Facility Master Plan (see "AISD: Open Embargo, Find Plan," Sept. 30).

 

So the press corps and the local PR industry will be watching closely to see whether Sanchez changes that culture. Through both his old company Adelánte Solutions and his new PR firm Brisa Com­mun­ications, Paul Saldaña has become one of the most consistent professional voices for the Hispanic population and a regular contractor with AISD. He described the district as having been in "a crisis mode. ... They're trying to respond to all the fires that are developing, from the budget to the Facilit[y] Master Plan to the East Austin schools." As a contracting professional, he notes that his and other PR firms have been to Sanchez's office to work on quick turnaround projects; as a schools advocate, he's paying closest attention to permanent hires.

So far, Saldaña said, there seems to be a dearth of staff with real local knowledge. In some ways, the situation is reminiscent of the baptism by fire that Carstarphen faced when she arrived in Austin. She stepped straight into a fight with state Commissioner of Education Robert Scott over Pearce Middle School when she was still trying to come to grips with Texas' mercurial accountability and school finance systems, while also fulfilling her extensive meet-and-greet obligations. The board has defended the practice of out-of-town and out-of-state hires as bringing in fresh blood and fresh ideas, but, Saldaña said: "To me what is more important is the social-capital aspects of the relationships that have been formed with both the community and the press. To me, I would think that would take precedence over anything else." What has surprised him most is not who has been hired, but the number of seasoned local PR professionals and community organizers he knows who applied for vacancies under Sanchez but are not even getting interviews. He said, "People are questioning, well, if they're trying to hire grassroots communications people, the people who are applying who you would think that they would want to hire or maybe consider are not even getting those jobs."
Saldaña's other concern is that the new policy of outreach should not become just set-dressing. Take the ongoing round of campus talks relating to Carstarphen's annual facility recommendations. Saldaña said: "The perception out there is that they're scheduling these meetings right through the holidays. People don't feel that they're going to be well-attended, that they're going to be rushed – but it's an attempt to quantify that they were inclusive and there was outreach in the community." He argues that the culture of "listening without listening" starts at the top – that Carstarphen is "not an active listener" but instead uses meetings as a platform to explain what she is going to do. He warned, "If you're going to have this old, bureaucratic approach ... where the government is going to dictate to the community, it's not going to work."

That fear of community outreach as set-dressing is something that Jason Sabo will also be watching. As co-founder of Frontera Strategy and a public schools activist, Sabo spends much of his time traveling around the state, talking to education groups about how to become effectively engaged with their school districts. He turned those skills directly on AISD when he found that his children's school, Barton Hills Elementary, was one of the campuses listed for potential closure in the earliest version of the Facility Master Plan (see "What the Task Force Wrought," May 27). When it comes to reaching parents who are not yet engaged, he said, "I think their heart's in the right place," but it's too early to say whether that will be enough.

For Sabo, the question is not just the quality or quantity of the messages, and he echoed Saldaña's concern that the district too often sees community outreach as a one-way street. That can be dangerous in the current climate, as parents are still bruised and suspicious after they derailed – for the present – the school-closure plans. Sabo said: "The district is going about it backwards. They know what they want, and they're going out into the community trying to sell it, like it's a new pair of socks." It is not just the administration that needs to improve; Sabo has been part of a growing chorus that has criticized how the board accepts public comment at its meetings. "As long as they're forcing people's comments down to two minutes at Citizens Commun­i­cation," he said, "they're never going to get the kind of genuine dialogue they need."

While Sanchez's shop is trying to get parents involved and informed about the district, they will still have to fight the same old PR wars. For Sabo, that may be where the most immediate challenges lie, especially since the board has been so squeamish about land-mine issues like boundary redrawing and property tax rollback elections. He said: "AISD, like it or not, in the not too distant future is going to have to approach this community and ask it to support tough choices and a new bond or tax rate. The reality is that unless there is a very conscious effort to ensure that the people of Austin and the district understand what they are attempting to do, they will be unsuccessful."
Any tax or bond election will first involve persuading the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Traditionally, the chamber has backed bonds, but last year its opposition kept a potential tax rollback election off the ballot (see "Bowing to Business Wheels, AISD Cans Tax Hike," Aug. 27, 2010). Drew Scheberle, the chamber's senior vice president of education and talent development, was very positive about Sanchez and his résumé, but thus far, he said, "I don't really have a clear sense of what they're trying to achieve yet." The question Scheberle asks of the district is the same one he poses every year in the chamber's education progress report: "If somebody in the community is only going to spend an hour all year thinking about the school district, what do you want them to know about what you're trying to accomplish?" While most districts are pretty good at dealing with the press, Scheberle says, they are weak at both internal and external communications with stakeholders. He believes what is lacking currently is a "meta-narrative to the community about what the school district is trying to accomplish, what role they need parents to play and the kids to play and the community and tax payers. I think part of it is they don't have" a narrative.

The Facility Master Plan is an object lesson in that lack of clarity. The board requested a definitive 10-year strategic vision, but when the project became politically contentious, they shifted to Carstarphen's newly adopted approach of annual facility reviews: all tactics, no long-term strategy. If Sanchez's office is eventually to be judged a success or a failure, that may become the real metric: not day-by-day communication, not the number of people at big meetings, or even how many translators they hire for how many languages. Instead, it will just be whether those traditionally underreached and unengaged communities know what is happening and engage with the district accordingly. Sanchez said, "We have to improve; we have to be able to build in systems that allow us to communicate with those families and those kids."

Moving to Austin

Dear Friends:

I am excited to announce my decision to move to Austin, Texas to lead the public relations and multicultural outreach department for the Austin Independent School District. It’s an amazing professional opportunity, and I can’t wait to begin this next chapter of my life.

It was 2004 when I first moved to Denver. From day one the community welcomed me with open arms. I will very much miss the many friends and mentors who played such a big role in my personal and professional development while in this great city. There is no doubt that Denver will always be my home and I promise to come back often to visit.

I have also enjoyed a very rewarding career at Denver Public Schools. During my four-year tenure at DPS, I’ve had the pleasure to lead the school district’s communications office and then launch an innovative new office to better connect with non-English speaking communities. I am most proud of my award-winning radio show strategy aimed at better integrating Spanish-dominant immigrants to the Denver community. Our innovative work in Denver absolutely proved to the nation that culturally and linguistically effective communication and outreach strategies can actually transform parental and community engagement. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to former Superintendent Michael Bennet and current Superintendent Tom Boasberg for all of the opportunities afforded to me while at DPS.

The decision to leave Denver was not easy for me. However, I find comfort in knowing that the City of Austin is similarly vibrant and diverse, with amazing people and a rich culture. I look forward to making new friends and starting a new career in another great public school district.

I hope to see you soon in Austin or in Denver.

With gratitude,

Alex Sanchez

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the Arizona shooting

Today's despicable shooting against Arizona's U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, a federal judge, congressional staffers and many bystanders is a crime against society and our democratic principles. 

A gunman opened fire on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords this Saturday morning while she held a public meeting with her constituents.

Giffords was listed as being in critical condition after being shot in the head. U.S. District Judge John Roll, a 9-year-old girl, a staffer of the lawmaker and three other people were killed in the incident.

The gunman was arrested by police and authorities are now trying to piece together the motive for the crime.

How can this happen? Did the gunman target the lawmaker because of her political views?

No word yet on whether the 22 year old shooter associated himself with any political party, movement or idiology. However, media outlets have been reporting that Giffords' state offices had been vandalized after the lawmaker voted in support of the healthcare reform bill.

Sarah Palin and the Tea Party mafia also targeted Giffords' re-election campaign this past election cycle.   

In a Denver Post article, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik eluded to the fact that Arizona is becoming a crazy place where people are becoming more and more afraid to live, work and play in this state. Here is his actual quote: 

And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry. 

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. It's a sad moment for all Americans.

Requiring all drivers to know the rules of the road and buy car insurance should be considered good public safety

So, I don't get it.

As a conservative driver, I would want to make sure every driver in Colorado knows the rules of the road and also has proper car insurance. But apparently Colorado Democrats and Republicans do not think this is an important issue.

Republicans don’t want to “encourage immigration” by forcing or requiring every driver to pass a test and get insurance.

On the other hand, Colorado Democrats are all about keeping their majority, and that implies doing nothing new or progressive. (Apparently, this has worked in the past.)

Thousands of unlicensed and uninsured drivers hit the road every morning to go to work or take kids to school.

OMG! Why would "they" do such a thing?

It’s simple. Colorado state law currently prevents people without a valid social security number from getting a valid driver's license, passing a test and buying car insurance.

However, society still wants fast and inexpensive products so Colorado’s restaurant cooks, housekeepers, landscapers, graphic designers, snow removal personnel and farm workers will still drive every day without a valid driver’s license and insurance to get to work.

Does it not make sense to simply force and require ALL drivers to take an exam and have to buy car insurance before driving on our roads? I think so.

Regardless of your opinion on “illegal immigration,” the point I am making is that it’s better to have insured, safe drivers on our roads.

The pundits will still claim that giving undocumented immigrants a driver’s license would only encourage more illegal immigration.

The problem with this argument is that it is not based on fact, but rather on political sound bites.

Regardless of your position on how to fix future flows of illegal and legal immigration, the reality is that we have thousands of undocumented immigrants already in living and working in Colorado and they will drive to work every day.

And this trend will not change anytime soon.

So, do we rather have safe and insured drivers....or not?

We need Colorado lawmakers to grant people the right and decency to apply for a license, learn the rules of the road and be able to buy car insurance. This makes sense to me.

The question still remains: How will Democrats and Republicans respond to this issue in the next legislative session?

I wonder if the three Latina state senators will challenge their Party and advocate for 21st century solutions.

I also wonder if my senator, Pat Steadman, and my house representative, Crisanta Duran, will both step up to the plate and propose 21st century public safety and social justice legislation in this year’s session.

Not sure. We will see.

I am ready to be shocked and surprised. But I won't hold my breath for too long.

Obama, Napolitano and Ritter drive families and victims of crimes further underground

Gov. Ritter (D) today signed a flawed agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to make it easier to identify and deport undocumented immigrants.

Of course, Ritter makes this decision on the eleventh hour of his term in public office. Why?

Proponents of the policy, including Ritter, argue that Secure Communities only goes after "serious" criminals.

For the record, I do agree with deporting non-citizen, non-resident violent criminals like convicted murderers. And while Secure Communities will try to identify and deport the worst of criminals, the policy comes with some pretty harmful side-effects. 

Here are some of the unwanted outcomes of Secure Communities:

• Thousands of hardworking, otherwise law-abiding parents, who drive to work every day without a Colorado driver’s license or insurance due to immigration status, if stopped by police for a minor traffic violation, could face charges, and if booked in jail, the new policy could deported them, leaving children vulnerable and alone at home.
• Victims or witnesses of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect may not feel comfortable reporting these crimes to police for fear of being deported themselves (or a family member). 

But here is the funny part. I actually think the Obama administration and Governor Ritter are simply playing politics - trying to appear tough on immigration.

I have a big problem with reactionary, politically-driven policies that do not fix actual problems.

Illegal immigration is a real problem and we need to fix it by reforming outdated federal laws, not by playing games with the most disenfranchised members of our society.

This so-called "Secure Communities" program, championed by the Obama administration, will not solve the immigration problem. It will simply drive families and victims of abuse and neglect further underground and in the shadows of society.

Clearly, this new fad in enforcement-only policies by the Obama administration is the wrong approach to the immigration issue. President Obama will have some explaining to do before November 2012.

As for Ritter, the historians will undoubtedly write about today’s story. I wonder on which side of history will Ritter end up on?

I never quote biblical figures. However, there is one specific reference that comes to mind.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23-34)

New documentary film depicts lack of agricultural child labor protections in America

I recently received a call from Susan MacLaury, executive director and co-founder of Shine Global, a non-profit film production company dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of children through films. She and I had a great conversation about her upcoming documentary about agricultural child labor in America. I agreed to help Susan promote the film and raise awareness of the issue.

The Harvest (La Cosecha) tells the stories of children (between the ages of 5 and 16) who work 10-plus hours a day, in poor working conditions, in the hot sun and without the protection of child labor laws. This film depicts the lives of more than 400,000 children farm worker who pick America's produce instead of going to school to receive an education.

 

The Harvest (La Cosecha), produced by Shine Global



The goal of the film is to raise awareness and get the U.S. Congress to pass the Fair Labor Standards Act, which address the gap in child labor protections that all other American children enjoy. Somehow, the U.S. Congress has granted the farming industry this loophole.  

The documentary is produced by Shine Global and is expected to be released in early 2011. To learn more about the film, visit Shine Global's Website.



Arizona anti-immigrant extremist Russell Pearce is at it again

The author of Arizona’s anti-immigrant, discriminatory and unconstitutional law (SB1070) is now after U.S.-born children and also bilingual educators who happen to speak English with a heavy accent.

Russell Pearce, de-facto leader of the immigrant-bashing nativists and Republican state senator, is convinced the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is wrong to grant children born in this country the right to citizenship. Pearce claims our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) never intended for Latino children born in this country to be granted birthright citizenship.

The newly elected president of the Arizona state senate has pledged to introduce a bill this next legislative session requiring the State of Arizona to deny birth certificates to children born in the U.S. and whose parents are undocumented. Mr. Pearce, in case English is not your first language, here is what the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says:

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

Russell Pearce

If this was not bad enough, the anti-immigrant extremists in Arizona also want to fire bilingual teachers who happen to speak English with an accent. Pearce intends to introduce yet another anti-Latino bill. Instead of addressing - I don't know - real school reform or fix the economy or create jobs, the newly elected Republican leader wants to waste time on his personal, nativist agenda.

These political attacks on American children, students and educators are simply unacceptable. The GOP should stay away from this guy and his tactics. The Grand Old Party, if it continues to associate with and support these "Tancrazy" ideals, will be left vulnerable in future elections. Common-sense Americans and Latinos will not tolerate these extreme views and political attacks on families, children and our freedoms.

EDUCA Radio Show Makes "The 5 Smartest Policies Enacted by American Cities in 2010" List

Alex Sanchez in the studio during a live show

I am very excited! I just got word that our EDUCA radio show made the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy’s list of the best policies of 2010.

The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, based in New York City, is a non-partisan, non-profit think tank generating the ideas that fuel the progressive movement. Every year, the Institute releases a short list of the “best” and “worst” policies enacted by American cities.

Below is what they said about our integration and parent engagement strategy in this year’s “Five Smartest Policies Enacted by American Cities” list:

“The experts agree: parental involvement has strong positive effects on students' achievement in school. When parents are engaged with their child's education, attendance improves, grades and test scores go up, and graduation rates rise. But how can school districts involve parents who don't speak English? In Denver, where three in five students are Latino and many have parents with poor English skills, the school system has taken to the radio waves. Through an hour-long weekly program called "Educa" (educate) the Denver Public Schools connect with Spanish-speaking parents about school policies, events, and issues in public education. Parents can also call in with questions about their children's school and the education system. The first-of-its-kind program broadcasts on three popular Spanish-language radio stations and has more than doubled its audience -- to 54,200 unique listeners -- over just a few months. For engaging immigrant parents in a format that speaks to them, the Denver schools' multicultural outreach efforts come in loud in clear on our list of the best policies of 2010 (http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/2010/12/ten_best_and_worst_city_polici.html).”

I want to thank and congratulate everyone who has contributed to the success of this linguistically and culturally effective project – my radio team, members of the EDUCA advisory committee, all of our guest speakers and our community partners and sponsors.  A special shout-out also goes to Tom Boasberg, Amy Friedman and Michael Vaughn for their support and willingness to venture outside-the-box with innovative strategies.

Happy New Year!

The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell marks the beginning of change in this country

The U.S. Senate approved the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and President Obama signed the bill. American soldiers honorably serving in the military will not be fired in the future for simply being gay or lesbian. We are moving in the right direction as a country. But, this is just the beginning. America still has a lot of work to do before all men and women are created equal.

It began when African Americans were allowed to serve in the Union's army during the civil war. Years later women were able to join the military. Black and white soldiers were later integrated to create an even stronger military. Starting today, gay and lesbian soldiers can now serve openly in the most powerful military in the world. This is the kind of "change and hope" I voted for in 2008.
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I am very proud of all of the Dreamers and everyone who supports them. The work continues. We will not give up. Justice is on our side. The U.S. Senate today showed lack of vision when they failed to enact good public policies aimed at supporting and empowering today's youth. The history books will show no mercy to the political actors responsible for keeping youth in the shadows of American society.

Every 30 seconds a Latino turns 18 years old in America (source: NPR). Can you see change coming to American politics? It's just a matter of time.

Puerto Vallarta: Lady of Guadalupe pilgrimage of the faithful

In Puerto Vallarta today. I forgot about it, but this weekend is the holiest in Mexico: It's Lady of Guadalupe's birthday. People in every town and city have midnight mass with mariachi. It so happens that PV's saint or patron is also The Lady of Guadalupe - so instead of just one day of mariachi...it's nine days!

Group after group march to Puerto Vallarta to give praise to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Puerto Vallarta's town center is literally closed as the nine-day, 100,000 people pilgrimage comes to an end today.

Pilgrimage of the faithful in Puerto Vallarta. Day nine of nine. 0ver 100,000 people will participate by the time the event is over.

 

A false American Dream

Exclusive interview from Puerto Vallarta this next Tuesday on EDUCA con Alex Sanchez radio show. "Eva," now in her early twenties, was taken to the U.S. when she was two years old. She graduated from a Colorado high school with honors and received a full-ride scholarship to go to a Colorado college. While in her first year of college Eva tried to follow the right process to correct her immigration status, but authorities deported her to Mexico instead. She is now in a country she does not know, away from her entire family, without her friends but still hopeful one day she will have a chance to come back home to her American dream.

Need for more integration strategies

I am in Mexico today and will soon present the topic of immigrant integration and the need for the federal government of Mexico, the federal government of the U.S., state and local governments (on both sides of the border), non-profits and immigrant groups to begin collaborating, funding, executing and promoting more effective integration strategies and programs.

Integration strategies, for me, are intentional programs that allow newcomers the ability to learn and fully participate in their new community's political (civics, government), social (language, education, protocols), and economic (jobs, commerce) systems, and works to establish a receiving community that is welcoming and inclusive of newcomers.

Immigration reform cannot be successful without comprehensive integration strategies.

Rights of Mexicans to vote in Mexico's elections

Mexicans have a constitutional right to vote in Mexico's elections, regardless of where they live. However, the federal government of Mexico has struggled to reform its election laws in order to register people to vote and to actually allow for people to vote.

In 2006 and for the first time, Mexicans living in outside Mexico were able to vote, thanks to the advice of our council. However, many policies and systems need to change in order to be ready for the next presidential elections cycle (every 6 years).

Today, Congresswoman Alejandra Reynosa presented the House of Representatives proposal for reforms and budget to accomplish this goal. In two weeks, Mexico's Congress will finally vote for the legislation that will invest about $1.2 million pesos to open more than 150 modules in the U.S. to begin registering Mexicans in the official electorate register. Mexico uses a national voter identification card and can only be given out by an autonomous and independent federal elections commission. After these first reforms and budget are approved, the next set of policy changes will include, for the first time, the ability to elect representatives of Mexicans living abroad to Mexico's both chambers of the federal Congress.

Mexico is making some very progressive moves as it relates to its diaspora living in the U.S and beyond.

Posted from Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico

Presenting the Advancing Latinas Award

I had a blast at this year's Latina Initiative's award breakfast. I am the vice chair of the board of directors. The event was a success.

Below are my remarks during the awards ceremony:

"Colorado is home to people of diverse backgrounds, all of whom value their quality of life.  All of the work of the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado — whether it is an event sponsorship for a non-profit or participation in a local chamber of commerce — is aimed at creating a deeper understanding that the fair and equal treatment of all people makes our state a better one in which to live, work, and play.

"Over the last 15 years, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado has invested more than $25 million in hundreds of high-impact nonprofits, providing them with the resources they need to thrive. The Gay & Lesbian Fund grantees share a common goal—they are committed to improving the quality of life for all Coloradans.  The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado provides grants in four main program areas:  arts and culture, healthy families, public broadcasting, and civic participation.

"A strong, inclusive, democratic society needs individuals who actively participate in their communities and government.  That is why the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado supports civic education, leadership development, community activism, and advocacy —all hallmarks of the Latina Initiative.  Whether it is through Latino/a Advocacy Day or Serious Women, Serious Issues, Serious Action, the Gay & Lesbian Fund is proud to support and collaborate with the Latina Initiative.

"The Latina Initiative has been nationally recognized for its quality work and become the go-to organization in the Latino community. By educating and engaging Latinas, it is possible to inspire the whole family to become involved in advancing progressive public policy that strengthens Latino families.

"Working together, the Gay & Lesbian Fund and Latina Initiative have moved people to take action, given voice to local concerns, and improved the lives of working Latino families – all part of the Gay & Lesbian Fund’s mission to advance equality, strengthen nonprofits, and build a better Colorado.

"It’s my honor and pleasure to present to the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado this year’s Advancing Latinas Award."    

I had my coffee and my "morning brew." Tina Griego from the Denver Post stopped by the radio show yesterday. This is the column she wrote today:

morning brew | tina griego

Griego: Radio program opens a window for immigrant parents

By Tina Griego
Denver Post Columnist

Posted: 09/02/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT

On Wednesday morning, Alex Sanchez, host and creator of Denver Public Schools' EDUCA radio talk show, took a call from a woman in Denver named Leticia.

Before I get to her question, some background on EDUCA, which is one of the district's more brilliant ideas. It's a program aimed at Spanish-speaking parents of school-age children. It airs three times a week on MARIA 1090 AM.

The program centers on one theme: parental involvement in their kids' education. The how and why and what of it is delivered in lively Spanish that is part exhortation and part explanation. Sanchez signs off with: "El futuro de sus hijos está en sus manos, que no se le olvide." Your children's future is in your hands; don't forget.

Sanchez, 29, is the son of Mexican immigrants. He was born in Los Angeles. His mother was deported when he was young and so they lived in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, until he was 10. His father gained legal residency through the Reagan-era amnesty program. Sanchez graduated from high school in Basalt. His mother, a longtime legal resident, will take her citizenship exam later this month.

I mention all this because it informs Sanchez's job as the director of the district's Multicultural Outreach Office. It informs the debut of the talk show a year ago, and the newspaper-like newsletters printed in Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic and, coming soon, French and Nepalese. And it informs the district's latest ambition, the next step in the integration of immigrant parents into our community: English lessons. Free. Broadcast over the radio, three lessons a week for 35 weeks, with accompanying lesson books. The district wants to recruit 5,000 parents by the Sept. 15 launch.

Leticia wants in.

That immigrants here should learn to speak English is a no-brainer. It's necessary for both the immigrant and the larger community. English is the language of our society, our economy, our government. The inability to speak English isolates people. It leaves vast potential untapped.

The need to speak English should not be equated to the replacement of one tongue by another. It means English must be added to the repertoire.

This is easier said than done. Immigrants, no matter their country of origin, tend to live in enclaves. Their contact with the outside world is often limited to church, job and their children's school. In the first two places, the mother tongue dominates interaction. That leaves school.

DPS has 78,000 students. Those students speak more than 124 languages at home. Forty percent speak Spanish at home. Many kids function as translators, their parents' bridges to the larger world. It's not a position that's healthy for child or parent.

The rap on immigrants — and generally the target is Spanish speakers — is that they don't want to learn to speak English. This is a political canard that makes it easier to switch the discussion from one of accessibility to one of values, from inclusion in our society to rejection of it.

Sanchez will tell you he's never met an immigrant who doesn't want to learn English, who does not understand its benefits. That's been my experience, as well.

The program, called Maestro en Casa, comes out of the San Antonio- based nonprofit Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together. Its impetus was immigration reform, says MATT Foundation executive director Aracely Garcia-Granados, who is from Guatemala. Polls demonstrated the public demand that immigrants learn to speak English as a requirement of legal residency.

"So the original idea was to prepare ourselves for immigration reform," she says. But then the group found that 60 percent of immigrants who are here legally and are eligible to become citizens have not done so because they cannot speak English. "That means they are not active participants in society," she says.

Radio is hugely popular among Spanish-speaking immigrants, so the marriage of it with English instruction holds promise. Students don't have to worry about transportation, about cost, about being embarrassed. The lessons will follow an immigrant family "as they open a bank account, call a doctor, go to school. It's all situational," Sanchez says. "The key word here is integration."

And, no, half-hour lessons three times a week will not catapult someone into fluency, but they can build the confidence needed to go out and learn more. The program will end with an exam and a reception. Call 720-423-2555 for more information.

Denver is the first school district in the country to partner with the MATT Foundation, and the only cost to DPS is staff time. As for Leticia, she is 47 and from Mexico. She has no formal education and has lived here for 30 years. She has two elementary school children.

Why do you want to learn English? Sanchez asks Leticia. She says, sounding both ashamed and frustrated, that she cannot understand her daughters' homework.

Leticia signs up. One thousand parents registered and counting.

Tina Griego writes Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Reach her at 303-954-2699 or tgriego@denverpost.com.

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