At the regular meeting of January 11, 2003, members voted to officially endorse the Nuestro Mundo Community School Project (NMCSP), a grass roots community-wide effort trying to establish a bilingual, two way immersion charter school in Madison.
After listening to the NMCSP preliminary plans and vision for the school, presented by Bryan Grau and Santiago Hernġndez, LUChA endorsed the project and offered to write a letter to the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education in support of the project's planning grant. LUChA will also make a small monetary contribution.
LUChA's support is the first official endorsement the NMCSP receives from a community organization or institution. In a memo to Alfonso Zepeda-Capistrġn, president of LUChA, Bryan Grau writes "We appreciate your official endorsement, letter to the MMSD Board in support of our planning grant, and donation. We are especially excited since LUChA is our first official endorsement! We look forward with much enthusiasm over developing, presenting and opening the doors to Madison's first dual language public charter school."
Thanks to all of LUChA members who are already helping with these efforts.
(1/16/03)
The LUChA Education Committee has met regularly for the past few years. The committee is now currently regrouping to study the current situation with Latino students in Madison.
The following individuals volunteered to join the Education Committee: Yolanda Bohorquez, Marcia Hoke, Lisa Benitez, Blanca Cruz and Juan Morales and Dan Guerra. Others who have worked closely with the education committee and who continue to be active as advisors and supportive of the efforts include Donna Vukelich, Debora Gil-Casado, Bryan Grau and Numa Armacanqui.
For more information about the LUChA Education Committee, please contact Dan Guerra, Jr., at (608)244-8377 or, via email at "dguerrajr@perfectcomputingllc.com".
The LUChA Education committee has been active in:
- advocating for funding of after school programs by community-based
organizations;
- advocating for funding of precollege programs administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the University of Wisconsin System;
- issuing recommendations to the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) not to abandon its mission of serving all children and to especially focus on the achievement of minority students;
- issuing recommendations for inclusion in the University of Wisconsin System Plan 2008;
- pursuing an increase of minority teachers, support and
administrative staffà in the Madison schools;
- proving a community perspective to classrooms in the
public schools, technical colleges and universities, in and outside of Dane
County;
- advocating for programs locally and nationally that facilitate access to educational opportunities to all children, including immigrant non-citizens.
Links to Educational Institutions in Wisconsin
Madison Metropolitan School District
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Wisconsin Technical College System
University of Wisconsin System
