Latinos in Teaching

Latinos in Teaching

Wednesday, November 17 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM CST

A livestream event (Facebook and YouTube | no registration)

One in five of public school students in Kansas are Hispanic, according to the Kansas Department of Education. But only about 2.5% of the educators in the agency’s teacher licensure database identify as Hispanic or Latino.

A story in the Fall edition of The Journal reports that educators have long understood that Black and brown students are more likely to succeed in school if they have adult role models who look like them in the classrooms. Districts in the Kansas City area and beyond are trying to address the challenge, but getting more Latino teachers into classrooms is going to require hard, sustained work.

Hear about the experiences of two Latina teachers from the Kansas City area and learn more about what it could take to grow the ranks of Latinx educators.

Join managing editor Chris Green in conversation with an engaging panel that includes: 

• Alicia Rodriguez-Montanez, teacher at Washington High School in Kansas City, Kansas, 
• Jackie Madrigal, teacher at Shawnee Mission North
• Edgar Palacios, CEO, Latinx Education Collaborative
• Susana Elizarraraz, vice president of educator supports, Latinx Education Collaborative, 
• Barbara Shelly, Journal contributor

For more information on The Journal, visit klcjournal.com. The print edition featuring the story about Latino educators can be purchased at the Kansas Leadership Center’s online store.