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Dawson said students become disengaged in large settings, are
unmotivated by lack of attention, and drop out of college and
universities, if they even make it to high school graduation.
Justin Bibb - Special Assistant for Education & Economic
Development:
Office of the Cuyahoga County Executive shared sobering
statistics about high school graduation rate that hover in 40
percent for all students and fall to 30 percent of Latino
student. “Our goal is to create the right conditions for
schools and communities,” he said.
Citing national statistics
Bibb said the gap in Latino student achievement is 21 percent,
in Cleveland it is 40 percent; “This is equivalent to a
permanent economic recession.” Cuyahoga County also ranks poorly
in comparison to neighboring counties, with only 27 percent of
the population holding a bachelors degree compared to 35 percent
in Franklin County. For the city of Cleveland, the number drops
to only 8 percent.
Bibb said these statistics
are a serious blow to the city and county as it moves forward in
hopes of the great economic renaissance through revitalization
of downtown and the Medical Mart. “We will not be successful
unless we bridge the gap ( in education),” he said.
Victor Ruiz,
Executive Director at Esperanza, said the ‘quiet crisis’ in
Latino education has long- term consequences for the region as
it continuously loses population. He said the Cleveland
workforce depends on home-grown talent and by 2018 sixty percent
of jobs will require a post secondary education.
He said students at Esperanza Inc. have high aspirations;
they want to attend college and make a difference in their lives
and community. They are seeking tutors and mentors to overcome
barriers but are struggling with math, science, and reading
comprehensions, scoring well below their grade levels. A recent
study of Latino students attending local Cleveland
post-secondary institutions shows the graduation rate ranges
between 0 – 42 percent.
“I want people to be upset about this and propelled to make a
difference,” he said. Ruiz said the commitment to education
must reach beyond W.25th and Clark Ave.
Bibb said the county is seeking real practical solutions, and
has allocated $6 million in college assistance but unless the
student successfully completes matriculation there is little
impact.
Dawson said she was surprised to learn from Ruiz that the
biggest barrier to Latino education is the breakdown of the
family. To counter that, Remington encourages families to
participate and enroll together. “It is not unusual to see
family members taking classes and graduating together,” she
said.
She said in encouraging more students to graduate high school
and attend post-secondary institutions the key to keep in mind
is the same shoe does not fit all. Students have options not
just in their pursuit of careers but the environment as well.
“When we [at Remington College] see a student slipping all of us
come together to help,” she said.
For Remington College students, the one-on-one attention they
receive through their coursework makes all the difference.
Jonathan Pérez completed his Dental Assisting program at the
college and is continuing his bachelor’s in biology at a local
university. He said the challenges he faced in high school were
discrimination and the attitude from teachers that he would not
succeed. “That just motivated me to prove them wrong,” he said.
As a dental assistant he has been encouraged by the doctors he
works for to pursue a higher degree so he can move up in the
field. “If they believe in me, then I can do it,” he said.
For Melanie Rodríguez, walking into a class and having an
instructor who knows her by name and her goals are important.
She wanted a program that was fast-paced that would help launch
her career quickly so she could provide for her 2-year-old
daughter.
She said as a Spanish speaker she processed everything in
Spanish and was often overlooked by teachers—“One even told me
this is your education and not mine.” Rodríguez said teachers
have the power to make a huge impact on students. “I like that
my program is very hands on,” she said.
Luis Santiago,
also enrolled at Remington, said if teachers had just paid a
little more attention he would have been motivated to stay in
school. He has completed his GED at Remington and is pursuing
Medical Assisting. “When you see a student’s grades slipping, it
is time to ask me to see you after class and have a talk. A
counselor should be on top of every student’s list of people to
talk to when there is a problem,” he said.
Dawson said currently 8 percent of the students at Remington are
Latino and the college is partnering with Esperanza, Inc. to
support the organization’s efforts.
Remington is a career college that offers diploma programs and
Associate Degree Programs, a few online Bachelor Degree
Programs. For more information visit:
www.remingtoncollege.edu
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