Many Hispanic students never have a teacher who looks like them—and that’s a big problem

*Most Latino students are urban students and “teachers who share a linguistic and cultural background with their students have a unique role to play in urban schools.” VL

By Timothy Pratt, Fusion (9 minute read) 

NASHVILLE— Alondra Piña Mota remembers being too embarrassed to talk to her high school teachers or college counselors about how her family’s reluctance to borrow money might prevent her from going to college.

Her parents, like many Mexican immigrant families, didn’t believe in taking out loans—even for education. Piña Mota had to work to help with household expenses, so she knew that using what she earned to help pay for tuition would be difficult.

Nalexandro Cubero Crispo, who was born in Puerto Rico, said his teachers never called on him in class because, he assumed, “they thought I wasn’t capable.” One of Cubero Crispo’s strongest memories of school was “always raising my hand, waiting for them to call on me.” He graduated with a 3.83 GPA.

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Although the 18-year-olds went to different schools in Nashville, they have something in common: Outside of high school Spanish class, both rarely saw a Hispanic teacher while attending school. READ MORE