Photos by Frank X. Moraga / ©2019 AmigosNAZ
Gathering helps local officials learn about the educational challenge facing Latinos in Northern Arizona
FLAGSTAFF — Educators, business and political leaders gathered to learn about the NALEO Education Fund and hear presentations by local educators on issues impacting the local Latino community during the NALEO Northern Arizona Regional Convening on Education held May 22 at the High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff.
District 2 Supervisor Elizabeth “Liz’ Archuleta, a long-time member of of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), provided the opening remarks along with Northern Arizona President Rita Cheng.
Established in 1976, NALEO is a non-partisan membership organization whose constituency includes the nation’s more than 6,000 elected and appointed Latino officials.
The NALEO Educational Fund is the nation’s leading non-profit, non-partisan organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.
Representatives from NALEO, including Dr. Giovanna Grijalva, the Arizona deputy director of Constituency Services — Education, then provided an overview of the group’s efforts in Arizona.
In 2017, a new initiative aimed at improving the educational outcomes for Arizona youth was established by NALEO. The NALEO Education Fund provides in-depth professional training for National education policymakers in the state, officials said, with attendees provided with information on how to be involved with the NALEO Education Leadership Academy.
Local panel members addressing the gathering included:
Paul Kulpinski, partnership director of LAUNCH Flagstaff, who provided information on the value of collective impact to help local education and other organizations to work together to achieve sustainable progress in local preschool to college education programs;
Jennifer Brown, Head Start director for the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG), who reported on the successes of the program in Northern Arizona, along with challenges related to decreasing Latino student participation due the community’s concerned about recent immigration enforcement efforts;
Mike Penca, superintendent for the Flagstaff Unified School District, who provided details on the district impressive graduation rates, growing Latino (27 percent) and Native American (26 percent) student populations and ongoing challenges with state education funding.
The event was sponsored by the Helios Education Foundation (title sponsor), State Farm (supporting sponsor), with Regional Convening Partners Elizabeth “Liz’ Archuleta, NALEO Board Treasuer Sara Benatar, treasurer of Coconino County and Northern Arizona University.