Pathways to

Hispanic Family

Learning:

Highlighting public and private efforts to meet 

the education needs of the Hispanic family

June 16-17, 2005

White House Initiative

On Educational Excellence

for Hispanic Americans
Pathways to Hispanic

Family Learning:

Highlighting public and private efforts to meet 

the education needs of the Hispanic family

June 16-17, 2005

Washington, D.C.

WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS
Table of Contents

Welcome Letter, Margaret Spellings ............................................1

Welcome Letter, Adam Chavarria ................................................2

Overview......................................................................................4

Background..................................................................................5

Hispanic Family Learning Working Group Members..............7

Program at a Glance ....................................................................8

Detailed Program ......................................................................10

Thursday, June 16, 2005......................................................10

Friday, June 17, 2005 ..........................................................14

Biographies ................................................................................17

Panelist Organizations ................................................................38

This program contains information about public and private

organizations for the reader’s information. Inclusion does not

constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education

of any views expressed, or products or services offered.

The Department of Education and The White House Initiative

on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans gratefully

acknowledge the support of State Farm to help make this

conference possible.
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN

PATHWAYS TO HISPANIC FAMILY LEARNING

Washington, DC 

June 16-17, 2005

I am pleased to extend greetings to the participants in Pathways to Hispanic

Family Learning.

The U.S. Department of Education and the White House Initiative on

Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans have convened this event for a

very significant purpose – to increase the educational attainment of, and close the

achievement gap for, Hispanic Americans by engaging Hispanic parents, families,

and entire communities.

In our diverse country, we share the belief that education is the great equalizer

and that a great education must be available to each and every American. As

President George W. Bush has said, “America’s schools should be places of learning and achievement, reflecting our belief in the possibility of every student.” 

The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act set in motion a historic transformation of American education that says every child matters and every child can learn.

Your efforts and the efforts of countless public and private organizations across

the nation are ensuring that we keep our promise to leave no child behind. By

engaging all members of the Hispanic community in the learning process, we can

strengthen our efforts to close the achievement gap once and for all. 

Thank you for your commitment to education reform and for the work you do

every day with Hispanic American families. Please accept my best wishes for a

successful event. 

Margaret Spellings

1

THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

WASHINGTON, DC 20202
Welcome.

Welcome to Pathways to Hispanic Family Learning, a gathering of key stakeholders

who are committed to improving educational outcomes for Hispanic children,

youths, and families.

This day-and-a-half event is designed to highlight the efforts and experiences of a

variety of stakeholders, public and private, in reaching Hispanic parents, families,

and entire communities with the education information, tools, and knowledge they

need to become strong advocates for their children’s education.

You will also learn about what is presently known about Hispanic family involvement and about a range of promising practices and outreach efforts that each

sector—corporate, community and faith-based, and government—has employed in

an effort to improve the educational attainment of Hispanic Americans. This event

will also include presentations about how many of these same organizations have

sought to substantiate their effectiveness through program evaluation and assessment in order to demonstrate that their efforts are producing measured results.

Finally, an informative forum has been included at this event for those organizations and individuals who wish to learn more about the increased necessity to

conduct program evaluation.

This gathering takes place in the midst of the most important education reform in

our nation’s history. Thanks to President George W. Bush’s leadership and the

strong bipartisan support of Congress, we have experienced real progress in

Hispanic academic achievement in just three short years since the No Child Left

Behind Act was passed. We especially commend Secretary of Education Margaret

Spellings for the strong commitment she has made to expand this progress.

We firmly believe that No Child Left Behind is destined to close the academic

achievement gap for the nation’s Hispanic children and youths. However, there

continues to be a knowledge gap in the Hispanic community about the options and

2

White House Initiative On

Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
opportunities education reform affords its members and their children. Therefore,

it is important that we exert every effort to place the wealth of existing education

information in the hands of Hispanic parents and families. We must engage families

as full partners in our efforts to close that knowledge gap. We will do it with the

help of various stakeholders, public and private, represented at this gathering.

The first step in this effort is Pathways to Hispanic Family Learning. And, it is my

distinct pleasure to welcome you to be part of this important journey.

Sincerely,

Adam Chavarria

Executive Director

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

3
4

Overview

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for

Hispanic Americans “Pathways to Hispanic Family

Learning: Highlighting Public and Private Efforts to

Meet the Educational Needs of the Hispanic Family”

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

(White House Initiative) believes that an essential factor in the effort to increase

educational attainment and to close the achievement gap for Hispanic Americans is

family involvement. This has led to the formation of a collaborative network that

focuses on the Hispanic family as a way to maximize the numerous options and

opportunities afforded by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and other education 

programs, in order to make educational excellence a way of life.

The White House Initiative also recognizes that public and private institutions, in

addition to the family, are essential elements that will contribute to the educational

growth and development of children, youths, and adults. In order to reach Hispanic

families, the White House Initiative believes that it is necessary to coordinate efforts,

to fortify relationships, and to make optimal use of the resources (information,

human, material, and financial) that stakeholders from a variety of organizations and

agencies possess. Chief among these resources is a wealth of education information,

materials, and tools available from the U.S.

Department of Education.

Pathways to Hispanic Family Learning

will convene a variety of stakeholders to

share their experience and knowledge in

reaching Hispanic parents, families, and

entire communities with useful education

resources, particularly about the options

and opportunities available under NCLB.

Representatives from community-based,

non-profit, and faith-based organizations; corporations and federal departments and agencies will participate in a

range of panels and present on their

efforts to engage all members of the

Hispanic family in the learning process. 
5

Background

Hispanic Family Learning

On Oct. 12, 2001, President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13230

creating the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for

Hispanic Americans (Commission). In the same executive order, the president

designated the White House Initiative as the office that would provide staff support

and assistance to the commission in its charge to examine the underlying causes of

the achievement gap existing between Hispanic Americans and their peers.

The commission’s work resulted in two reports. The first report, The Road to a

College Diploma: The Complex Reality of Raising Educational Achievement for

Hispanics in the United States, was submitted to the president on Sept. 30, 2002,

and set forth the framework for the education issues that required the nation’s

attention in order to close the educational achievement gap. On March 31, 2003,

the commission presented its final report to the president, From Risk to

Opportunity: Fulfilling the Educational Needs of Hispanic Americans in the 21st

Century. The final report contained six recommendations for increasing the

educational attainment of Hispanic Americans: 

1. Set high expectations across America for Hispanic-American students.

2. Fully implement and rigorously enforce the No Child Left Behind Act

(NCLB).

3. Reinforce a high-quality teaching profession by preparing all teachers to

address the diverse needs of Hispanics, and by attracting more Hispanics

to the teaching profession. 

4. Initiate a new coherent and comprehensive research agenda on the educational attainment of Hispanic-Americans across the education spectrum.

5. Ensure full access for Hispanic-American students to enter colleges and

universities and demand greater accountability in higher education for

Hispanic graduation rates.

6. Increase the accountability and coordination of programs within the federal

government to better serve Hispanic-American children and their families.

The commission’s recommendations became the basis for undertaking a pilot

public-private partnership in summer 2003. This yearlong pilot program teamed

the White House Initiative with leading national Hispanic organizations, corporate

leaders, and national private entities to further public understanding of NCLB, and

improve the educational achievement of Hispanics in the United States through a

series of Hispanic education conferences held in seven pilot cities around the

country.
6

Building on the experiences and lessons learned with the Partners in Hispanic

Education, the White House Initiative convened a working group in a series of

planning meetings to develop a plan of action that would maximize the reach of

future collaborations. This work plan called for the formation of a broader publicprivate partnership that drew on the Hispanic family as a way to positively influence

the educational outcomes of Hispanics in the United States. All the elements of

NCLB, particularly parental involvement, are integral to this plan.

The working group concluded that there exists a need to intersect various interests

and efforts into one comprehensive approach that draws on two fundamental premises, namely that: 1) the family (and, by definition, the extended family) should be a

focus through which educational outcomes are improved; and, 2) public-private

partnerships are the optimal vehicles through which families are reached. 

The working group, known as the Partnership for Hispanic Family Learning, is

scheduled to implement the action plan in late 2005. This effort will bring together

the White House Initiative and a range of public and private organizations to form a

national network that addresses the education needs of Hispanic-Americans by

drawing on the inherent strengths, virtues, and values of the Hispanic family.

Known collectively as “family learning,” the education areas that will comprise the

public-private partnership’s work will encompass: early childhood development,

early reading, youth literacy; academic preparation, high school graduation; college

enrollment, persistence, and completion; and adult and workplace literacy.

The Pathways to Hispanic

Family Learning conference

on June 16 and 17, 2005,

is a prelude to the launch of

this effort. The conference

will highlight private and

public efforts to meet the

education needs of

Hispanic families. Panel

sessions will feature a

variety of results-driven

education outreach efforts

that various stakeholders

(i.e. community, non-profit,

and faith-based organizations, corporations, key

federal departments and

agencies) are conducting.
7

White House Initiative on Educational

Excellence for Hispanic Americans

Adam Chavarria

Denise Rodriguez-Lopez

Mary Ann Gomez

Virgie Barnes

Krystal Reyes

Julissa Cruz

President’s Advisory Commission on

Educational Excellence for Hispanic

Americans

Norma Garza

Scholastic, Inc.

Karen Proctor

National Center for Family Literacy

Sharon Darling

State Farm

Kathy Havens Payne, 

Ana Compain-Romero**

National Institute for Literacy

Sandra Baxter*

National Latino Children’s Institute

Rebecca Barrera

Institute for Education Sciences

Lynn Okagaki*

National Clearinghouse for English

Language Acquisition

Nancy Zelasko*, Pat DiCerbo*

U.S. Department of Education

Offices:

Office of Elementary and Secondary

Education 

Jackie Jackson, Carlos Martinez,

Rene Islas

Office of English Language Acquisition

Kathleen Leos*

Office of Vocational and Adult

Education

Ivonne Jaime, Charles Talbert

Office of Migrant Education

Mary Gonzales**

Office of Faith-Based and Community

Partnerships

Harrison Clark

Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools

Deborah Rudy

Sigrid Melus

Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services

Grace Zamora Duran

Office of Innovation and Improvement

Courtney Phillips, Marcie Brown

U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services Head Start Bureau

Carol Pendas Whitten

National Institute of Child Health & Human

Development

Peggy McCardle*

Nevada Department of Education

Aldo Aguirre**

National Center for Latino Child & Family

Research

Mike Lopez*

* Member Research Sub-Group

** Member Communications Sub-Group

Hispanic Family Learning

Working Group
Program at a Glance

PATHWAYS TO HISPANIC FAMILY LEARNING

Highlighting public and private efforts to meet the education needs of the Hispanic family

Washington, D.C.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005

8:30 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:50 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Welcome

Adam Chavarria, Executive Director

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for

Hispanic Americans

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Keynote Address

Secretary Margaret Spellings

U.S. Department of Education, No Child Left Behind

and Hispanic Educational Excellence

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Overview: Hispanics in the U.S.

Roberto Suro, Director, Pew Hispanic Center

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Session One: Education and Hispanic Families:

Insights From Research 

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Session Two: Community-Based and Non-Profit

Organizations 

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Keynote Address

Anna E. Cabral, U.S. Treasurer

1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Session Three: Faith-Based Organizations

2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Session Four: Corporations 

4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Closing Remarks

Kathleen Leos

Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary

Office of English Language Acquisition

U.S. Department of Education 8
FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2005

8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

Susan Sclafani, Assistant Secretary

Office of Vocational and Adult Education

U.S. Department of Education

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Session Five: Key Federal Departments and Agencies

10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Forum: From Anecdotal Success to Proven Results 

12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Closing: Where Do We Go From Here?

Adam Chavarria, Executive Director,

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for

Hispanic Americans 

12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Luncheon

9
Detailed Program

Thursday, June 16, 2005

WELCOME 8:50 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Welcome remarks by Adam Chavarria, Executive Director,

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic

Americans.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Speaker: Secretary Margaret Spellings, U.S. Department of Education 

No Child Left Behind and Hispanic Educational Excellence

OVERVIEW 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Hispanics in the U.S.

Improving the educational attainment of Hispanic Americans involves

outreach and dissemination of useful education information to families

and communities; however, it does not preclude the need to understand related needs such as childcare, health, affordable housing, and

employment training. This overview on the state of Hispanics in the

United States will form the background against which to view what

various sectors and stakeholders are doing to meet the education

needs of Hispanic parents, families, and entire communities. 

Presenter: Roberto Suro, Director, Pew Hispanic Center 

SESSION ONE 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Education and Hispanic Families: Insights From Research

Description: Many Hispanic students are succeeding in school. What does the

research tell us about the activities and support that Hispanic parents

provide for their children? What can we learn from existing research

to help Hispanic families become informed advocates for their children’s education? This session is intended to offer insight into what

is presently known about Hispanic family involvement in education.

Presenter: Lynn Okagaki, Deputy Director for Science, Institute of Education

Sciences, U.S. Department of Education 

Q&A

10
SESSION TWO 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Community-Based and Non-Profit Organizations

Description: Community based organizations (CBOs) and other non-profits

are instrumental in providing valuable information to communities

“on the ground.” Because CBOs are local and serve a smaller

community, they have firsthand knowledge of how to empower

and assist under-resourced communities. It is often through a

CBO and its on-the-ground presence that other larger organizations are able to reach people most in need. Non-profits, which

include CBOs, often have a wider scope and influence. They have

the capacity and the resources to affect policy and draw national

attention to issues pertinent to their constituents. The organizations in this session will feature their efforts to 1) engage Hispanic

families in education through parental training and outreach, and

2) provide a broad range of services and resources to Hispanic

families, from workplace literacy and training to youth and

leadership programs.

Moderator: Daniel Garza, Associate Director, Office of Public Liaison,

The White House 

Panelists: National Center for Family Literacy

Sharon Darling, Founder & President 

Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)

David J. Valladolid, President & CEO 

Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options

(CREO)

Rebeca Nieves Huffman, President 

El Valor

Vincent A. Allocco, President 

Tomás Rivera Policy Institute

Harry Pachon, President

National Council of La Raza

Raul Gonzalez, Legislative Director

Q&A

11
LUNCH AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Speaker: Anna E. Cabral, U.S. Treasurer 

SESSION THREE 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Faith-Based Organizations

Description: The purpose of this session is to highlight the efforts and contributions that faith-based organizations are making to help the

Hispanic community. Faith-based organizations are a valuable

resource for communities most in need, especially in the Hispanic

community where faith is often an important part of the culture.

As President Bush has stated, these organizations “inspire hope in

a way that government never can. And they inspire life-changing

faith in a way that government never should.” Hispanic and

Hispanic-serving faith-based organizations have shown their

effectiveness in meeting the needs of the community with a

variety of services to children, youths and entire families.

Moderator: Charles Talbert, Area II Coordinator, Office of Vocational and

Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education

Panelists: Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Lori Roman, Deputy Director, U.S. Department of Education

St. Anthony School, Milwaukee, Wis.

Terry Brown, President

Acción Social Comunitaria-Latino Community Social Action

Reverend William Chignoli, Executive Director

Spanish Catholic Center

Reverend Mario E. Dorsonville, Executive Director 

Q&A

12
SESSION FOUR 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Corporations

Description: As important stakeholders in the education of society,

corporations have provided valuable resources and have made

strong commitments to improving the lives of Hispanic Americans,

particularly in support of education programs that are helping to

close the academic achievement gap. The corporate sector has also

contributed valuable human capital in the form of business

expertise, advice, and support in implementing community and

school-based education programs. The companies highlighted

here are nationally known and respected for their leadership in

championing education, literacy and family issues. They set an

important standard and model of corporate and private investment

in the education of Hispanic Americans.

Moderator: Alma Morales Riojas, President, MANA, A National

Latina Organization 

Panelists: State Farm

Kathy Havens Payne, Assistant Director, Community Alliances

Scholastic, Inc.

Karen Proctor, Vice President, Community Affairs

Verizon, Inc.

Del Velasquez, Vice President, Federal Government Relations

PepsiCo, Inc.

David Gonzales, Vice President, Global Diversity/Inclusion and

Organizational Partnerships

Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

Patricia Salas Pineda, Group Vice President, Corporate

Communications and General Counsel 

Q&A

13
Friday, June 17, 2005

WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS 8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Speaker: Susan Sclafani, Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and

Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education

SESSION FIVE 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Key Federal Departments and Agencies

Description: Education does not take place in a vacuum. We know that

home and community conditions form an important part of the

learning environment. As providers of services and programs that

contribute to the health and economic well-being of the family,

federal departments and agencies play a key supportive role in

enabling Hispanic families to create a positive environment that

promotes learning. 

Moderator: Roberto De Posada, President, The Latino Coalition 

Panelists: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Frank Fuentes, Deputy Commissioner, Administration for Children,

Youth and Families

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Ana Maria Farias, Deputy Assistant Secretary

U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training

Administration

Mason M. Bishop, Deputy Assistant Secretary

National Institute for Literacy

Sandra Baxter, Interim Executive Director

U.S. Department of Education

Francisco Garcia, Director, Office of Migrant Education

Q&A

14
FORUM 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

From Anecdotal Success to Proven Results

Description: Anecdotal evidence suggests that organizations, both public and

private, are helping to close the achievement gap for Hispanic

Americans. However, sound evaluation of these efforts is needed

to provide useful and prescriptive information on how these efforts

are producing the necessary results. This session will include a

guided discussion on challenges and lessons to be learned from

undertaking rigorous program evaluation.

Moderator: Lynn Okagaki, Deputy Director for Science, Institute of Education

Sciences, U.S. Department of Education 

Panelists: Parent Institute for Quality Education

David J. Valladolid, President & CEO

State Farm

Kathy Havens Payne, Assistant Director, Community Alliances

Hispanic Family Learning Institute, National Center for

Family Literacy

Sharon Darling, President and Founder

Youth Development Inc.

Analee Maestas, Executive Vice President,

National Hispanic Child and Family Development Institute

Q&A

15
CLOSING 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Description: No one agency or organization alone can change the state of

Hispanic education in the United States. It is through the combined efforts and outreach of public-private partnerships that

Hispanic families and communities can gain wider access to education information, resources and tools to turn high expectations

into the reality of educational excellence. This session will address

how the public and private sectors can work together by focusing

on families in order to improve education outcomes for Hispanic

Americans.

Presenter: Adam Chavarria, Executive Director, White House Initiative on

Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

LUNCHEON 12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

16
Biographies

Secretary Margaret Spellings

On Jan. 20, 2005, the United States Senate confirmed Margaret Spellings as the

eighth U.S. Secretary of Education. 

During President George W. Bush’s first term, Spellings served as assistant to the

president for domestic policy, where she helped craft education policies, including

the No Child Left Behind Act. She was also responsible for the development and

implementation of White House policy on immigration, health, labor, transportation, justice, housing, and other elements of President Bush’s domestic agenda. 

Prior to her White House appointment, Spellings worked for six years as Gov.

George W. Bush’s senior adviser with responsibility for developing and implementing the governor’s education policy. Her work included the Texas Reading

Initiative, the Student Success Initiative to eliminate social promotion, and the

nation’s strongest school assessment and accountability system. She also made

recommendations to the governor for key gubernatorial appointments. Previously,

Spellings served as associate executive director of the Texas Association of School

Boards.

Born in Michigan in 1957, Spellings moved with her family at a young age to

Houston, Texas, where she attended public schools. She graduated from the

University of Houston in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. 

As the mother of two daughters, one school-age and one college-age, Spellings has

a special understanding of the issues facing parents and students today. Her daughter Mary, age 18, will be attending college in the fall, and her daughter Grace, age

13, attends a public middle school. Spellings is the first mother of school children

to serve as U.S. secretary of education. 

17
Anna Escobedo Cabral

Treasurer of the United States

Anna Escobedo Cabral was nominated on July 22, 2004, by President Bush to

serve as treasurer of the United States. She was confirmed by the United States

Senate on Nov. 20, 2004.

Immediately prior to taking this office, Cabral served as director of the Smithsonian

Institution’s Center for Latino Initiatives, where she led a pan-institutional effort to

improve Latino representation in exhibits and public programming among the

institution’s 19 museums, five research centers, and National Zoo. From 1999 to

2003, Cabral served as president and CEO of the Hispanic Association on

Corporate Responsibility, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington,

D.C., which partners with Fortune 500 companies to increase Hispanic representation in employment, procurement, philanthropy and governance. Under her leadership, the organization published a best-practices series, and instituted a partnership

with Harvard Business School to provide executive training programs in corporate

governance best practices to community leaders. 

From 1993 to 1999, Cabral served as deputy staff director for the United States

Senate Judiciary Committee under Chairman Orrin G. Hatch. The committee’s

jurisdiction ranges from oversight of the Department of Justice and our nation’s

criminal and drug enforcement laws to approving federal judicial nominations, and

it includes review of immigration, antitrust, patents and trademark, and technologyrelated legislation. In addition, she simultaneously served as executive staff director

of the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs, a position she held since 1991. Cabral managed this task force of 25 senators dedicated

to ensuring that the concerns and needs of the Hispanic community were addressed

by Congress through legislation. 

A native of California, Cabral majored in political science at the University of

California, Davis, and earned a master’s degree in public administration with an

emphasis in international trade and finance from the John F. Kennedy School of

Government at Harvard University. 

18
Vincent A. Allocco

President, El Valor

In 1979 Vincent Allocco arrived at El Valor to join others who shared his dream of

excellence and inclusion for all children and families, including Latinos and people

with disabilities. Those who know Allocco know he is a visionary leader, with a

mission, passion, and dedication to the Hispanic community. In his spare time,

you will find him busily searching for innovative ways to help build more inclusive

communities of excellence. 

Some of Allocco’s most notable accomplishments include the development and

implementation of the “Tocar el Futuro/Touch the Future,” a model that demonstrates that inner-city children and families can achieve excellence and that children

with disabilities can be included in education programs for the benefit of all. El

Valor is now the 12th largest Hispanic non-profit in the country. The organization

provides comprehensive services to over 4,000 families throughout the Chicago

metropolitan area and has hundreds of families on its program waiting lists. El

Valor works with the most vulnerable people in the community—young children,

youths, people with disabilities and their families.

19
Sandra L. Baxter

Interim Director, National Institute for Literacy

Sandra Baxter joined the staff of the National Institute for Literacy in 1999. In

2001, she was designated interim director and is responsible for managing the institute’s daily operations. Under Baxter’s guidance, the institute has undertaken new

work on early childhood, adolescent, and adult reading. Prior to assuming her

current position, Baxter directed the institute’s national reading research dissemination campaign, The Partnership for Reading. The Partnership, a collaborative effort

of the institute, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, seeks to make scientifically based reading research

accessible to the public and to facilitate the application of research to instructional

practice. Since its inception, the Partnership has distributed more than 13 million

print publications about reading, including copies of the National Reading Report.

Prior to joining the institute’s staff, she was a senior evaluator at the U.S. General

Accounting Office where her work focused on federal education policy and programs. Baxter began her career working in community-based programs for disadvantaged youths and adults where she advised students on college admissions and

financial aid requirements. She earned a doctoral degree in education from the

Harvard University Graduate School of Education, holds a master’s degree from

Loyola College, and completed her undergraduate education at Howard University. 

Mason M. Bishop

Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration

U.S. Department of Labor

In his position, Mason Bishop is responsible for overseeing key workforce investment programs, developing and implementing workforce policies and priorities, and

assisting with congressional relations and legislative issues. He also plays a lead role

in the reauthorization of theWorkforce Investment Act.

Prior to coming to the Employment and Training Administration, Bishop was the

legislative and marketing director for the National Association of State Workforce

Agencies. There he helped the states with outreach efforts to employers and the

public and managed various projects on behalf of the states.

Bishop graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in

political science and a master’s degree in public administration. He is currently

pursuing a doctorate in public policy at George Mason University.

20
Terry Brown

President, Saint Anthony School of Milwaukee

Terry Brown is currently active with School Choice Wisconsin and a member of the

board of directors of the Alliance for Choices in Education. During the last two

years, Brown led a major expansion of Saint Anthony School, a K-8 school serving

700 children, most of whom are Hispanic Americans, initiated a comprehensive

school reform and recently worked to affiliate Saint Anthony School with Hispanic

CREO. Prior to joining Saint Anthony School, Brown enjoyed assignments in Asia

with GE Healthcare, and later worked for US Bancorp in Milwaukee. Brown

received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

and his master’s in business administration from Thunderbird, the Garvin School of

International Management, in Phoenix, Ariz.

21
Rev. C. William Chignoli

Director and Founder, Acción Social Comunitaria

The Rev. Chignoli began his career in television production (Columbian National

Television and Blair Spanish Television in Florida) and international teleconferencing on health issues. Until 1989, he served as Telemedicine Director at Miami

Children’s Hospital and then founded the Global Outreach Network for marketing

and physician referral in Latin America. In 1994, he completed his master’s of

divinity in St. Louis, and worked in family counseling and pastoral education. 

Today, Chignoli is the founder and leader of many organizations in St. Louis,

including Acción Social Comunitaria, La Clínica, whose clients tally over 7,000 free

patient visits each year, Cross Cultural Studies Institute and La Iglesia de la Nueva

Comunidad (UMC). He also founded the Latin American Bilingual Pre-School,

the first Hispanic newspaper in St. Louis, and the Hispanic Community Radio FM.

While focused on meeting the needs of the poor, under-educated Hispanic

community of south St. Louis, Rev. Chignoli is very active in the larger community,

serving on many boards (St. Louis Board of Health & Hospitals, Mental Health

Board of Trustees, People’s Free Clinics, a women’s shelter) and receiving such

recognition as the Civic Award of the Year from the local Hispanic Chamber

of Commerce and Businessman of the Year from the National Republican

Congressional Committee. His over-arching purpose has been to support a better

life for his people by helping meet basic needs, building strong community and

fostering cultural understanding, in the context of faith-based values. 

Sharon Darling

President and Founder, National Center for Family Literacy

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), internationally recognized as the

leader in the field of family literacy, is known for creating innovative program

models, developing effective advocacy strategies and providing research, training

and technical assistance to professionals working in the field of family literacy. Since

its founding in 1989, NCFL has been dedicated to placing family literacy—parents

and children learning together—on the agenda for social change.

As a pioneer in education, Darling serves as an adviser on education issues to

governors, policy-makers, business leaders and foundations throughout the

nation. In doing so, she provides them with advice and planning strategies for

strengthening families through education and moving them toward literacy

and self-sufficiency—key issues associated with breaking the intergenerational cycle

of poverty. 

22
23

Darling continues to receive recognition for her groundbreaking work and leadership in education. She has received several honorary doctorate degrees for her contributions to education and has been featured on the Arts & Entertainment television network’s series “Biography.” She also serves on the boards of numerous

national and international organizations, including the Barbara Bush Foundation

for Family Literacy, National Coalition for Literacy, the American Indian Education

Foundation and the Heart of America Foundation. She is an active member of the

International Women’s Forum.

Robert G. De Posada

President, The Latino Coalition

Robert G. de Posada is President of ONE Marketing & Research, Inc. based in

Graham, Wash. He specializes in state governments and congressional relations,

public education campaigns and political communications strategies. There, he

designs and implements communication and lobbying strategies for the firm’s

national and international clients. 

De Posada currently also serves as President of The Latino Coalition, a nonprofit

organization established to address policy issues that directly affect U.S. Hispanics.

In this capacity, de Posada is responsible for implementing national and international public education campaigns on such issues as health care, tax reform, immigration, trade and education, testifying before Congress, giving media interviews, and

coordinating weekly policy forums. He also sits on the Executive Committee of the

Hispanic Business Roundtable

De Posada served as an adviser to Virginia Gov. George Allen on issues relating to the

Hispanic community, including international trade and investment in Latin America.

He was also appointed by Gov. Allen to the Welfare Reform Commission. De Posada

was the primary liaison between the governor and the Virginia Hispanic community.

Prior to that, De Posada served as director of Hispanic Affairs at the Republican

National Committee from 1989 to 1992.
Rev. Mario E. Dorsonville

Division Director, Spanish Catholic Center

Rev. Mario Dorsonville has had two decades of pastoral and service experience in

the Washington, D.C. area. He was recently named the division director of the

Spanish Catholic Center in Washington’s Columbia Heights community, and also

serves as the vice president for Mission of the Archdiocese of Washington’s Catholic

Community Services.

Before joining the Spanish Catholic Center, Rev. Dorsonville was an associate

pastor at Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Hyattsville, Md., where he

also taught seventh and eighth grades. His pastoral experience also includes

working at Our Lady of Lourdes in Bethesda, Md., Our Lady of Mercy Catholic

Church of the Archdiocese of Washington, and several churches in Arlington, Va.

In addition, Rev. Dorsonville has also had teaching experience as a professor of

business ethics at Xavier Pontifical University and The National University of

Columbia, both in Bogotá, Columbia. 

He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1985 and incardinated within the

Archdiocese of Washington in 1999. Rev. Dorsonville received his bachelor’s

degrees in philosophy and sacred theology from the Archdiocese of Bogotá and his

doctor of ministry from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Anna Maria Farias

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Anna Maria Farias currently serves as deputy assistant secretary for grant programs

in HUD’s office of Community Planning and Development, with oversight of $6.3

billion and jurisdiction over the Community Development Block Grant Program

(CDBG), Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Section 108 Loan

Guarantee Program, Environment and Energy Programs, the American Dream

Downpayment Initiative (ADDI), and Disaster Recovery.

From 2002 to 2004 Farias served as the deputy assistant secretary for special initiatives

for community planning and development (CPD) at HUD. Prior to this appointment,

Farias was HUD Secretary Martinez’ senior counsel from 2001 to 2002.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Farias graduated from Boston University with honors and

received her law degree from Temple University Law School in Philadelphia. In 1998,

24
she attended the Harvard University JFK School of Government Programs for senior

executives in state government. In 1999, she was certified as a commercial mediator.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Farias was inducted into the Texas Women Hall of Fame

for her Professional Leadership in 2000. She also received the National Hispanic

Leadership Eagle Award for her Community Service and was named Honorary

Mayor of San Antonio, Texas in 2002. She was commissioned ‘Yellow Rose of

Texas’ by the Governor of Texas and was named Outstanding Hispanic Woman by

Image. Most recently, she was inducted into Mexico’s Women’s Hall of Fame as

2003’s “Pride of Mexico” award recipient.

Frank Fuentes

Deputy Commissioner

Administration for Children, Youth and Families

Frank Fuentes has been serving as the deputy commissioner for the Administration

for Children and Families since May 2002. This agency administers $18 billion

annually and includes the Head Start, Child Care, Family and Youth Services and

the Children’s Bureaus programs.

Fuentes’ federal career has spanned 28 years and many programs to provide

human and social services to needy children and families. In January 2000, he was

inducted into the Senior Executive Service and selected to serve as the first deputy

commissioner for the Office of Child Support Enforcement. During his tenure as

the acting commissioner this program collected $20 billion for over 17 million

children owed financial support by non-custodial parents.

Fuentes has also served as the deputy and acting associate commissioner for the

Child Care Bureau, as director of program support in the Family and Youth Services

Bureau managing the Drug Abuse Prevention Program for Runaway and Homeless

Youth and Gang Prevention Program. He also served as a Child Welfare program

specialist in the Children’s Bureau. His proudest accomplishment was serving as the

chief for the Migrant Programs Branch in the Head Start Bureau for six years.

During those years the program’s budget grew by 200 percent and the first resource

center specifically for migrant children with disabilities was established.

Fuentes has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a Presidential Citation

for Leadership for his work on the White House Conference for Families, and most

recently the Secretary’s Recognition Award for Heroism in relation to the events

surrounding 9/11. The award he is proudest of was his selection as the first recipient

of the “Plate of Plenty” from the Migrant Programs’ Branch and Association.

25
Francisco Garcia

Director, Office of Migrant Education

U.S. Department of Education

Francisco Garcia has played key roles in implementing the Department of

Education’s efforts to increase the educational outcomes for Hispanic students and

champions a number of efforts to ensure that no child is left behind. He has served

as a consultant to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, has presented to the

National Security Council on promoting good work environments for all migrants,

has presented before the White House and Congress on issues related to migrant

education and child labor, and is a true believer that all children are deserving of a

high-quality education. Garcia has taught at Boise State University and served as an

equity specialist for the Oregon Department of Education. As a Council for

Excellence in Government Fellow he pursued a certificate program at the Kennedy

School of Government at Harvard University; he earned his master’s degree in

education from Boise State University in Idaho and his bachelor’s degree from the

College of Idaho in Caldwell. 

Daniel Garza

Associate Director, White House Office of Public Liaison

Daniel Garza, a native of Washington state, has over a decade of public service at the

local, state and federal levels managing public relations and government initiatives. 

In April 2004, Garza was appointed to serve as associate director for the White

House Office of Public Liaison, working primarily to coordinate outreach efforts to

the Hispanic community on behalf of the White House. The Office of Public

Liaison is responsible for promoting presidential priorities through outreach to concerned constituencies and public interest groups. As associate director of the Office

of the Public Liaison, Garza has directed major White House events involving the

president, hosted briefings between Hispanic organizations and high-level White

House officials, and enlisted support of presidential initiatives and programs from

major Hispanic and Latino organizations. 

After completing his education, Garza served on numerous boards and task forces

related to communications, and agricultural and law enforcement issues. In 1995,

Garza accepted an offer to serve as a congressional staff assistant with U.S.

Congressman Richard “Doc” Hastings, R-Wash. There he was assigned as liaison to

the Department of Defense, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the

Department of State. 

26
David L. Gonzales

Vice President, Global Diversity/Inclusion and Organizational Partnerships

PepsiCo, Inc.

Currently, as vice president of Global Diversity/Inclusion and Organizational

Partnerships for PepsiCo, Inc., David Gonzales is responsible for working with

the divisions of Frito-Lay, Tropicana, Quaker and Pepsi-Cola to achieve the

business goal of being “The Employer, Partner and Brand of Choice” through

community market development. To accomplish this, Gonzales is focused on the

strategic direction of being “The Premier Corporate Citizen,” managing PepsiCo’s

community involvement nationally, and leading the development of key partnerships with select nationwide community–based organizations focused on the

PepsiCo business agenda. 

Such organizations are the National Council of La Raza, the National Urban

League, League of United Latin American Citizens, the National Association for

the Advancement of Colored People, the Cuban-American National Council, the

Pan-Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. By working directly with their national

presidents and CEOs, Gonzales has been able to gain their alignment with

PepsiCo’s business strategy

in the area of urban market

development, employment,

economic development and

key governmental issues

affecting the corporation.

Of particular importance is

the growing issue of obesity

that has disproportionately

affected urban communities,

and influencing key opinion

leaders at the community

level as well as on the

legislative front.

27
Raul Gonzalez

Legislative Director, National Council of La Raza

As the legislative director of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Raul

Gonzalez works with Congress, the White House, advocacy groups, and NCLR’s

affiliated community-based organizations to improve life opportunities for Hispanic

Americans. Prior to joining NCLR in 1998, he was a legislative assistant in the

office of U.S. Representative Major R. Owens, for whom he worked on legislation

to increase the academic achievement and attainment of poor children. As a teacher

in New York City public schools, Gonzalez taught writing, algebra, and special education. This allowed him to learn firsthand about the needs of economically disadvantaged students. He was born in Puerto Rico, and was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.

He is a graduate of the City College of New York, with degrees in English and

psychology.

Analee Maestas

Executive Vice President, Youth Development Incorporated

Analee Maestas has approximately 30 years of education and administrative experience, ranging in scope from teaching in the classroom, including regular, bilingual,

ESL, reading, special education classes, to administrative experience at the school,

district and university levels and in the non-profit sector. 

Currently, Maestas is the executive vice president for educational support and

executive director of the National Hispanic Child & Family Development Institute

for Youth Development Inc. (YDI) based in Albuquerque, N.M. She manages the

implementation of supplemental educational services as mandated by NCLB,

after-school programs and charter school technical assistance. She provides training

in Family Engagement Models, professional development for agencies serving

Hispanic populations, and professional development to schools. 

Maestas is also an adjunct professor at two universities and teaches undergraduate

and graduate courses in reading, bilingual education, special education and

educational leadership. 

28
Rebeca Nieves-Huffman

President, Hispanic Council on Reform and Educational Options (CREO)

Rebeca Nieves-Huffman came to Hispanic CREO after having served as the associate director of recruitment and selection for the Knowledge Is Power Program

(KIPP), an organization dedicated to providing historically underserved students

with the knowledge, skills, and character needed to succeed in top-quality high

schools and colleges, and in the competitive world beyond. At KIPP, Huffman

worked to identify and select outstanding educators who would then participate in

the KIPP School Leadership Program, a yearlong fellowship that trains educators in

starting and running their own KIPP-like schools. 

Huffman also served several years as a corps member and project leader at City

Year, an AmeriCorps program for young adults who commit to full-time community service. Along with her team, she worked with third-grade students who were

repeating that grade for the first or second time. It was then that her eyes were

opened to the social injustices within the public education system. Since then,

Huffman has worked to provide educational opportunities for children through

choice. She currently sits on the National Board of Trustees for both City Year and

the Charter School Leadership Council. Rebeca is an advisory board member to the

National Boys and Girls Club of America and the proud recipient of the 2004

Hewlett Packard Leadership Award.

Huffman received her bachelor’s degree in marketing and public relations from

Columbia College in Chicago.

29
Lynn Okagaki

Deputy Director for Science, Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Lynn Okagaki serves as deputy director for science at the Institute of Education

Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education. Okagaki is a developmental psychologist who most recently was professor of child development and family studies

and associate dean of the School of Consumer and Family Sciences at Purdue

University. She received her bachelor of science degree in applied behavioral

sciences from the University of California at Davis and her doctoral degree from

Cornell University. Her research has focused on minority children’s school achievement and on the socialization of children’s values. Okagaki has served on the

National Science Foundation’s developmental and learning sciences panel, on the

National Research Council’s Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy, and on the

editorial boards for the Early Childhood Research Quarterly and the Journal of

Applied Developmental Psychology.

Harry P. Pachon

President, Tomás Rivera Policy Institute 

Harry P. Pachon joined the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) in 1993 as its

President. Under his guidance, TRPI has evolved into the country’s premier

research institute on Latino issues in the fields of education, immigration policy,

information technology and civic and social research.

Pachon is a founding board member and past executive director of the National

Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund,

where he initiated the National Directory of Latino Elected Officials, which is now

in its 17th year of publication.

In 1997, Pachon was appointed to serve as a member of the President’s Advisory

Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. He has also

authored over 20 articles and journals, and co-authored three books on U.S.-Latino

politics and political behavior. He has held academic positions at universities in

Michigan, California, and New York, and held the Kenan All Campus Chair at the

Claremont Colleges. He currently is a professor of public policy at the University of

Southern California in the School of Policy, Planning and Development. 

30
Pachon received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science at California

State University of Los Angeles, and earned his doctorate in government from the

Claremont Graduate School. 

Kathy Havens Payne

Assistant Director, Community Alliances, State Farm

Kathy Payne is in charge of State Farm’s business-education partnerships.

Currently, she works directly with State Farm Chairman and CEO Edward B. Rust

and supports his national leadership position in the area of business-education partnerships focused on improving student achievement. At the national level, Kathy

serves on the education advisory board for the National Alliance of Latino Elected

Officials (NALEO). She serves on the boards of directors for Youth Service America,

the National Service-Learning Partnership and the National Youth Leadership

Council. She also serves on the Business-Education Council for The Conference

Board, on the Advisory Committees for the National Educator Training and

Leadership Center for the Council of Chief State School Officers, and on the

Business Education Network of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In her home state

of Illinois, she serves as a commissioner for the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism

and Community Service and on the advisory committee for the Council for Teacher

Education at Illinois State University. A former school board member and president,

Kathy received the 2002-03 Illinois Board of Education Those Who Excel Award

for outstanding contributions to education and was named the 2003 Woman of

Distinction for education for her home county in Illinois.

Prior to joining State Farm, Kathy was a 12-year veteran teacher in the area of

special education. She received a bachelor’s degree in special education from

Illinois State University and taught at the secondary school level.

31
Patricia Salas Pineda 

Group Vice President, Corporate Communications and General Counsel

Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

Patricia Pineda is responsible for public and investor relations, corporate advertising, and philanthropy, including the Toyota U.S.A. Foundation. As general counsel,

she is responsible for Toyota Motor North America’s (TMA) legal matters.

Prior to joining TMA, Pineda spent 20 years at New United Motor Manufacturing,

Inc. (“NUMMI”), the corporate joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation

and General Motors Corporation. 

Pineda’s many affiliations include serving as director, Levi Strauss & Co., Inc.;

trustee, The Rand Corporation; director, James Irvine Foundation; director,

California Manufacturers and Technology Association; and trustee, Mills College.

Pineda was recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Business in

the Bay Area for 2003 by the San Francisco Business Times. She was also named one

of Hispanic Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics in 1994 and 2003, and the

Latino Executive of the Year by On Wheels, Inc. in 2003.

Pineda splits her time between New York and Lafayette, Calif.

Karen M. Proctor

Vice President, Community Affairs and Government Relations,

Scholastic, Inc.

Scholastic, Inc. is a global children’s publishing, education and media company.

Karen Proctor directs Scholastic’s Corporate Citizenship initiatives. Since her arrival

at Scholastic in 1999, Proctor launched one of the nation’s largest in-kind giving

initiatives, Scholastic Book Grants, which has donated more than 10 million

children’s books to nonprofit organizations that find creative and effective ways

to address the reading and literacy issues facing the communities they serve. 

At Scholastic, Proctor has developed numerous programs that help empower

parents and other child caregivers to improve children’s literacy in their communities. Most recently, she launched Lee y serásTM (Read and you will be), a collaboration of Scholastic, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and Verizon. This

initiative engages Latino families and communities in building children’s early

32
language skills. Proctor also joined forces with the National Urban League to

launch Read and RiseTM, a program that provides African-American parents and

families with the necessary tools to help their children gain early literacy skills and

begin to bridge the achievement gap. 

Proctor is currently a member of the Center for Corporate Citizenship’s

International Advisory Board, serves as chair of the board of directors of

New York City’s Literacy Assistance Center, is on corporate advisory boards for

the National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions and the Children’s Aid Society

in New York City, and is vice president and trustee of the M.R. Robinson Fund.

Proctor is a recipient of the 2004 PR News People “Community Relations

Executive of the Year.” 

33
Alma Morales Riojas

President and CEO, MANA, A National Latina Organization 

Prior to assuming the role of president and CEO of MANA, Alma Riojas served as

national executive director of Federally Employed Women, Inc; executive director

of the National Alliance of Veteran and Family Service Organizations; associate

director of the National Network of Runaway and Youth Services; and president of

ALMA Consulting Services. 

On President Reagan’s Transition Team and then in White House Personnel, Riojas

specialized in Hispanic and women’s recruitment and placement. She has served on

the Commission on the Status of Women in Texas and Virginia, and has received

numerous professional and civic awards. She has been an adviser to Lifetime

Network, “To the Contrary,” a PBS women’s talk show, “American Family,” a PBS

series and “Real Women Have Curves,” an HBO film, and to the Women’s Policy

Journal of Harvard University. In 2002 she was appointed to the secretary of

labor’s Committee on 21st-Century Demographics of the President’s Council on

21st Century Workforce. In 2003, the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement

(WISER) presented the Hero’s Award to Riojas for her work on financial literacy

for Latinas. 

She is chair of the board of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility

(HACR), vice chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, and on the

National Council of Women’s Organizations’ steering committee. 

Lori Roman

Deputy Director, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives,

U.S. Department of Education

The goal of the U.S. Department of Education’s Center for Faith-Based and

Community Initiatives is to break down existing barriers and empower faith-based

and community groups, enlisting them in support of the Department’s mission to

ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all

Americans.

Previously, Roman held the position of senior adviser on family educational rights

in the Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of

Education. She advised on all issues related to family educational rights, including

school choice and family privacy. This included working to ensure effective imple34
mentation of the public school choice and supplemental services provisions in No

Child Left Behind. Roman also served as the director of school choice in the Office

of the Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education. 

Her diverse career has included work in television, education, public policy, and the

automotive industry. She is a veteran of the school reform debate, having been featured in various radio and television outlets, as well as magazines and newspapers.

Her editorials have appeared in numerous publications, including the Washington

Times and Crain’s Business. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration

from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in administration from

Central Michigan University.

Roberto Suro

Director, Pew Hispanic Center

The Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington-based research and policy analysis organization, is a project of the University of Southern California Annenberg School for

Communication, where Suro is on the faculty as a research professor. The center

was founded in July 2001 with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Through

public opinion surveys and a variety of research projects, the center serves as a

source of non-partisan information on the rapid growth of the Latino population

and its implications for the nation as a whole.

A former journalist, Suro has nearly 30 years of experience writing on Hispanic

issues and immigration. He is author of Strangers Among Us: Latino Lives in a

Changing America (Vintage) as well as numerous reports, articles and other publications regarding the growth of the Latino population. During his career in journalism Suro worked for TIME Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post

and other publications. He worked extensively in Washington, did tours as a

domestic correspondent in Chicago and Houston and was posted as a foreign correspondent in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. He is a graduate of Yale

University, where he received his bachelor’s degree, and of Columbia University,

where he received his master’s degree.

35
Charles A. Talbert

Area II Coordinator, Division of Adult Education and Literacy

U.S. Department of Education

Charles A. Talbert’s former positions with the Department of Education include

coordinator, High Skills Communities; director, Community Technology Centers

program; and chief, Special Programs Branch, Division of National Programs. His

state-level positions include state director of adult and community education, Maryland

State Department of Education; assistant professor of education in Adult Education and

director of the Office of Laboratory and Field Experiences, Morgan State University;

and director, Innovative Processing Center, Dunbar High School, Washington, D.C. 

Talbert’s education includes post-graduate studies in counseling psychology, a

master’s degree in adult education and community development, and a bachelor’s

degree in elementary education.

David Valladolid

President and CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)

Prior to his position at PIQE, David Valladolid had extensive experience within

other areas of public policy. He worked as a policy administrator at the United

Domestic Worker’s of America and as a legislative consultant for California State

Assembly member Willie Brown. He also worked at the state of California’s

Department of Industrial Relations. 

His appointments include serving as the commissioner with the San Diego Human

Relations Commission and co-founding the Leadership Training Institute (LTI)

Chicano Federation. Valladolid also remains involved within his local community as

a member of the United Domestic Workers of America (UDWA) and as a co-chair

to the Chicano Federation of San Diego County. 

He is a seventh-generation Californian and a graduate of San Diego State University.

Del V. Velasquez

Vice President, Federal Government Relations, Verizon Communications, Inc.

Del Velasquez oversees legislative issues impacting the telecommunication industry

and Verizon. Velasquez’s experience and knowledge of Hispanic Affairs made him a

leader within Verizon’s efforts in these areas. 

36
As executive director of government affairs for Verizon–Puerto Rico, he has been

responsible for establishing the first Government Affairs Office for the Puerto Rico

Telephone Company, an affiliate company of Verizon. This responsibility calls for

developing a legislative agenda designed to maximize the company’s ability to

provide services and products to the island. 

Previously, Velasquez was director of Strategic Alliances in the Federal Government

Affairs Office of Verizon Communications in Washington, DC. There, he directed

public policy on telecommunication issues impacting ethnic and minority communities nationwide.

Velasquez began his career with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in

Houston, Texas. He has held various positions in both the business and consumer

divisions of Southwestern Bell and AT&T. 

Velasquez until recently represented Verizon on the corporate advisory boards

of the Organization of Chinese-Americans, Black Leadership Forum,

Rainbow/PUSH Coalition–Wall Street Project; the National Urban League’s

Technology Roundtable Committee; United States Pan Asian Chamber of

Commerce, League of United Latin American Citizens, the United States

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, National Council of La Raza, and the

Hispanic Corporate Association on Corporate Social Responsibility.

37
Panelist Organizations

Acción Social Comunitaria—Latino Community Social Action—and

Parent Information and Resource Center

St. Louis, Mo.

A faith-driven resource center founded in 1993, Acción Social Comunitaria (ASC)

uses a family-focused approach to help new immigrants and refugees in South St.

Louis adapt to and succeed in their new environment. It provides such essential

services as emergency food and housing assistance, free medical care through its

sister organization La Clínica, counseling and case management, advocacy, and

referrals for High School Equivalency Diploma, English as a second language and

employment services.

Awarded a U.S. Department of Education grant in October 2003, ASC now

focuses on education as the key to lifting our Hispanic and Latino communities

from poverty and isolation. Its Parent Information and Resource Center works

intensively to provide families with in-depth training on how the public school

system works, what their rights and responsibilities are under the NCLB law, and

how to support good study and social behaviors in their children. 

In addition, the Parents As Teachers program is used along with home visits and

bi-monthly support groups to teach parents to observe and promote their

children’s development during the early years. 

Finally, ASC staff and volunteers from area universities provide bi-weekly tutoringmentoring sessions to children 6-13 years of age, aiming to establish consistent

supportive relationships with adult role models, to teach curricula, study habits and

social skills, and to build self-esteem, cultural pride and multicultural understanding. 

Also, ASC sponsors or participates in several community events, such as health

and cultural fairs and its Christmas-In-Community party, at which donated gifts

are distributed to over 500 children. They have a volunteer base of 180 people and

a resource for St. Louisans seeking information and employees, or simply to assist

the Hispanic community.

38
El Valor 

Chicago, Ill.

El Valor is a multipurpose organization that reaches thousands of families throughout the Chicago metropolitan area via direct services. Its mission is to support and

challenge urban families to achieve excellence in education and participate fully in

community life. 

Founded in 1973, El Valor builds stronger, more inclusive communities by supporting people with disabilities, promoting early childhood development, enriching

youths, strengthening families and developing leadership. El Valor provides comprehensive early childhood education to families; rehabilitation to people with disabilities; world-class academic support programs; and associate, bachelor’s, master’s,

and doctoral cohort degree programs to working adults. In partnership with area

universities, 400 leaders from the Latino community have received master’s and

doctorate degrees through leadership programs held at El Valor centers.

El Valor has built two Children & Family Centers in the communities of Pilsen and

South Chicago. Both are fully operational. A third Children & Family Center is

under way in the Chicago community of Little Village, the area of greatest need for

children and family services. El Valor has implemented its “Tocar El Futuro/Touch

the Future” service delivery model in each of its Children & Family Centers. In

addition to the Children & Family Centers, it has a vocational work center, technology center and five residential homes through which it works with an additional

1,000 families. El Valor is now the 12th largest Hispanic non-profit in the country

and was an associate partner with the White House Initiative on Educational

Excellence for Hispanic Americans-Partners in Hispanic Education in 2003-04.

39
Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options

Washington, D.C. 

The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options’ (CREO) mission is

to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children through parental choice

in education. Its purpose is to be a national voice for the right of Hispanic families

to access all educational options and to be an agent for equity and quality in

education.

Hispanic CREO was founded in summer 2001 when a group of 10 Latinos from

different professional, political, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds met for the

purpose of discussing the large education achievement gap between Latino children

and their peers. A review of the data and research available, including the 2000

census data, confirmed the extreme crisis of the situation. Hispanic CREO was a

response to this crisis after months of deliberation.

A current initiative of Hispanic CREO is Project CREO, a public information campaign dedicated soley to helping parents access supplemental services and public

school choice under No Child Left Behind. Project CREO seeks to reach 18,000 atrisk Latino children and their families in Miami, Dallas, Austin (Texas), Phoenix and

the state of New Jersey. Project CREO establishes parent, community, and school

resource operations with the goal of building public awareness, knowledge, and

understanding of the options available under the No Child Left Behind Act. Project

CREO works in collaboration with public schools and community organizations to

strengthen their ability to service students and Hispanic families. Currently, the

project has touched over four million families through the media and is working

directly with over 13,013 parent leaders. The project has developed Spanish-language communication tools and disseminates information locally.

40
National Center for Family Literacy/Hispanic Family Learning

Institute

Louisville, K.y.

The mission of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is to create educational and economic opportunity for the most at-risk children and parents. NCFL

envisions a world where every child in every community receives the literacy

support he or she needs from responsible, caring and knowledgeable adults in order

to succeed in school and in life. 

NCFL’s services include professional development for practitioners in children’s

education, adult education, English as a second language, and related literacy fields;

model program development through many groundbreaking initiatives; policy and

advocacy support to sustain and expand literacy services for families; and the Family

Literacy Alliance, a membership program. NCFL relies on the generous partnerships of many individuals, corporations and foundations to accomplish its mission.

In response to the growing Hispanic population, NCFL established the Hispanic

Family Learning Institute (HFLI) in 2003. The Toyota Family Literacy Program

(TFLP), funded by a $3.2 million grant from Toyota, was the first initiative under

the HFLI umbrella and supports family

literacy services for the educational

advancement of Hispanic and other

immigrant families in need. Many

other private corporations including

Verizon, UPS, Bank One and Boeing

have funded the products and programs important to HFLI and the families it serves. The goals of HFLI are:

to design and demonstrate programs

that meet the language and literacy

needs of Hispanic families; to collaborate with advocates and researchers to

expand high-quality services for

Hispanic families; and to develop key

resources that serve the needs of

practitioners who work with English

language learners. 

41
National Council of La Raza

Washington, D.C.

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR)—the largest national constituency-based

Hispanic organization and the leading voice in Washington, D.C. for the Hispanic

community—is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization established to reduce poverty and discrimination and improve life opportunities for

Hispanic Americans. Four major functions provide essential focus to the organization’s work: capacity-building assistance; applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy; public information efforts; and special and international projects. These functions complement NCLR’s work in five key strategic priorities: education; assets

and investment; economic mobility; health; and media/image/civil rights. 

Since passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, NCLR has worked with communitybased organizations to ensure that the law is implemented in a way that improves

educational outcomes for Latinos. Specifically, NCLR has conducted trainings and

workshops as well as panel presentations on the opportunities NCLB provides for

Latino families to better engage in their children’s education. 

Founded in 1968, NCLR began as a regional organization concerned primarily

with providing grassroots support to Mexican Americans in the Southwest.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NCLR has field offices in Atlanta, Chicago,

Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, Calif., San Antonio, and San Juan, Puerto Rico,

and in 2004 opened an office in New York City. Through its community-based

efforts, NCLR reaches more than four million Hispanics through a formal network

of affiliates—more than 300 Hispanic community-based organizations that serve 41

states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia—and a broader network of more

than 35,000 groups and individuals nationwide.

The National Institute for Literacy

Washington, D.C.

The National Institute for Literacy addresses literacy across the lifespan, from birth

through adulthood. Its primary activities are authorized by the U.S. Congress

under two laws, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), and the

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The AEFLA directs the institute to provide

national leadership regarding literacy, coordinate literacy services and policy, and

serve as a national resource for adult education and literacy programs. No Child

Left Behind directs the institute to disseminate information on scientifically based

42
reading research pertaining to children, youths, and adults as well as information

about development and implementation of classroom reading programs based

on the research. The Congress appropriated $11.56 million to implement the

institute’s directives in FY2004-2005.

The institute integrates its programs and policies according to the principles listed

below. Developed using the institute’s statutes, interagency partners’ strategic goals,

administration priorities, and recommendations from the institute’s advisory board,

the principles form a rough framework that directs the institute to invest in work

that improves literacy outcomes.

(1) Support rigorous research on literacy acquisition; 

(2) Translate scientifically based and other rigorous, relevant research

into information and tools that can be used by educators, other

service providers, and parents; 

(3) Identify high-performing programs, scientifically based practices,

and promising policies; 

(4) Disseminate high-quality information and resources grounded in

rigorous research; and

(5) Understand educators’ and other practitioners’ knowledge of

research-based practices.

One of the institute’s primary activities involves directing the Partnership for

Reading, a national reading research dissemination project. The partnership’s

mission is to make scientifically based reading research more accessible to educators,

parents, policy-makers, and other interested individuals. The partnership’s efforts

include a diverse set of public awareness, professional development, and product

development activities. 

The institute is now beginning to extend its efforts to reach Hispanic families with

information on reading. It recently produced La Lectura es lo Primero: Cómo

ayudar a su hijo a aprender a leer. This brochure provides a quick overview of the

findings of the National Reading Panel for parents and gives ideas for what to

expect from a school’s reading program based on evidence from the research. The

brochure also suggests ways parents can reinforce reading instruction at home with

everyday activities and interactions. Visit the institute’s Web site to see its resources

at www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading

43
Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)

San Diego, Calif.

Parent Institute for Quality Education’s (PIQE) mission is to bring schools, parents,

and communities together as equal partners in the education of every child and to

provide each student with the option of and access to postsecondary education.

PIQE is working to create a community in which parents and teachers collaborate

to transform each child’s educational environment, both at home and at school, so

that all children can achieve their greatest academic potential.

During the past 17 years, PIQE has graduated more than 335,000 parents from its

basic nine-week parent involvement program and impacted more than 1,000,000

California students from 1,300 elementary, middle, and high schools in districts

within San Diego, Los Angeles and Santa Ana counties, El Monte, Riverside, San

Fernando, San Jose, Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and Modesto.

In 2004, San Diego State University (SDSU) School of Business Administration

conducted the first longitudinal study of PIQE. The school contacted and surveyed

241 Latino parents living in San Diego who had graduated from PIQE in 1997-99.

These parents represented 351 students 18 years and older. The findings indicate

that 93 percent of these PIQE students graduated from high school versus their

non-PIQE Latino peers with a graduation rate of 59 percent, and 79.2 percent of

the PIQE high school graduates enrolled in college versus their non-PIQE Latino

peers with a college-bound rate of 52 percent in San Diego County.

44
PepsiCo, Inc.

Purchase, N.Y.

PepsiCo’s Community Affairs supports PepsiCo’s goal of being the “Premier

Brand, Employer and Partner of Choice Worldwide” by focusing on building

relationships with community organizations and contributing to communities

where PepsiCo operates. 

The PepsiCo Foundation, in conjunction with Scholarship America, established the

Diamond Scholars program to provide an opportunity for urban youths in Dallas,

Detroit, Hayward-San Jose, Calif., Los Angeles and Miami who have the potential

and desire to succeed in postsecondary education but who may have been overlooked for scholarships. In each market, up to 10 renewable scholarships in the

amount of $2,500 will be offered, for a maximum total of $25,000. Fifty winners

were selected in 2004, amounting to $299,862.15 in scholarships. In addition, 46

students from the 2003 award year renewed their scholarship

The Pepsi Latino Network (PLN) was created in June 2003, by Pepsi employees in

keeping with PepsiCo’s pursuit of cultural awareness, diversity and inclusion. The

vision of Pepsi Latino Network is to provide a nurturing environment at Pepsi that

fosters individual expression and development conducive to accelerating Pepsi’s

growth/leadership with its customers, consumers and community. The mission of

PLN is to develop, retain and attract Latino talent at Pepsi by creating an inclusive

platform, conducive to influencing the business agenda at Pepsi and to provide a

competitive advantage in a diverse marketplace.

45
Scholastic, Inc.

New York, N.Y.

In keeping with its mission to meet the reading needs of every child, Scholastic has

published and distributed a wide range of Spanish-language and bilingual books

and materials to children, parents and teachers in the United States and all over the

world for over 45 years. 

Lee y serás® (Read and you will be) is a multi-faceted, multi-year reading initiative,

supported by researchers, families, community leaders and educators in the Latino

community. With the long-term goal of creating attitudinal and behavioral change

supporting Latino early literacy development, Lee y serás is designed to empower

and support Latino parents and other family members as their children’s first and

most important teachers and role models. 

In addition, Scholastic Entertainment launched Maya & Miguel, an original television series and multi-media initiative that was conceived in response to the needs of

our nation’s children who are growing up as part of the country’s most diverse

population ever. Maya & Miguel is the first and only animated show that directly

promotes the value of a culturally diverse society and supports English language

learners through the presentation of language in a natural context, with a special

emphasis on vocabulary. 

The Scholastic en español imprint publishes over 100 Spanish-language and bilingual titles each year and has positioned Scholastic as the leading Spanish-language

publisher in the United States. Scholastic also reaches the Latino population

through unparalleled distribution channels in schools, with Scholastic Book Fairs

and Scholastic Book Clubs’ Club Leo, the largest Spanish school book club in the

country offering Spanish, English, and bilingual books and educational materials to

children in grades PreK-8. Club Leo celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2004.

Scholastic Corporation is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s

books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational

and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including

children’s books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The company distributes its products and

services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book

clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity

programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the

company’s Web site at www.scholastic.com.

46
Spanish Catholic Center

Washington, D.C.

The Spanish Catholic Center provides health care, dental care, immigration

legal assistance, economic development opportunities, educational opportunities

and a wide array of social services to low-income and limited English proficient

immigrants throughout the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. 

The Archdiocese of Washington founded the Spanish Catholic Center in 1967 to

assist the Hispanic community, the fastest-growing minority group in the nation, in

the process of adaptation and integration into North American society. Throughout

its history, the center has always assisted any person in need without regard to race,

color, sex, age, religious affiliation or country of origin. The center has served

immigrants from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and all points in between. From its

original location in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C., the

Spanish Catholic Center has expanded to Langley Park and Gaithersburg, Md.,

in order to meet the needs of the ever-growing immigrant community. In 2004,

the center celebrated its 25th anniversary in Langley Park.

The center provides a continuum of services to help newcomers adjust to and thrive

in our society. It cares for the physical, mental, emotional, social, economic, and

spiritual health of the person and their family. This holistic approach has helped

thousands of immigrants become productive citizens and significantly expand the

local economy.

47
State Farm®

Bloomington, Ill.

State Farm supports efforts to assure all children have access to an education that

will allow them to achieve their greatest potential and prepare them to be active

participants in a leading nation and global economy.

State Farm’s education outreach to the Hispanic community includes support for

the Achievement Alliance—a partnership between the National Council of La Raza,

the Business Roundtable, the National Center for Educational Accountability and

the Citizen’s Commission on Civil Rights. The goal of the alliance is to provide

accurate, nonpartisan information about student achievement in support of the

No Child Left Behind legislation’s goal to raise the academic performance of all

students and close the achievement gap once and for all. 

State Farm participates in several partnerships with the National Council of La Raza

and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Also, State

Farm has targeted funding provided to the National Board for Professional

Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This organization provides leadership to teachers

who choose to participate in a rigorous evaluation of their teaching practice and

content knowledge leading to certification as a master teacher. Part of State Farm’s

funding for NBPTS is focused on increasing the number of minority teachers

seeking and obtaining this certification in communities with strong Latino and

African-American populations.

St. Anthony School

Milwaukee, Wis.

St. Anthony School has been educating children on Milwaukee’s near south side

since 1872. Its mission is to integrate academic excellence with the developing faith

life and character formation of its children. 

Saint Anthony School of Milwaukee initiated a comprehensive school reform to

meet the challenges that confront Hispanic-American children, families and the

broader community, specifically in English language acquisition, closing the

achievement gap in reading and math, and attaining the cultural core knowledge

base needed to succeed as full participants in American society. Saint Anthony

School employs scientifically based programs to ensure that its children move to

grade level in reading in the most effective and efficient fashion possible. 

48
The building blocks of the school’s reform have been the implementation of direct

instruction reading programs, the introduction of the core knowledge academic

content standards, and the further improvement of their math curriculum. Students

are encouraged to read to non-reader parents, and their families and community

attend core knowledge training sessions. At these sessions, Spanish-language, gradeby-grade, parent texts are distributed that provide background knowledge to the

parents on the specific content in the subjects their child will study in that particular year to ensure that the entire family is engaged in the learning process.

The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute

Los Angeles, Calif.

The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) was established in 1985 to conduct and

disseminate objective, policy-relevant research and its implications to decisionmakers on key issues affecting Latino communities. To fulfill its mission, TRPI

directs research and analyses on issues related to political and civic engagement,

education and the economic well-being of the Latino community. The institute has

attained a reputation as the nation’s premier Latino think tank, with its successful

history of identifying data that addresses key policy issues, analyzing and interpreting that data, formulating appropriate policy recommendations, and providing

constituents with findings to facilitate informed decision-making. 

One example of a report that influenced action was College Knowledge: What

Latino Parents Need to Know and Why They Don’t Know It, which resulted in the

citywide Cash for College program through the Los Angeles mayor’s office to assist

Latino and other minority parents to complete financial aid forms. 

Additionally, TRPI’s College Knowledge findings led the Sallie Mae Fund to commission the largest national survey of Latino parents and young adults’ college

financial assistance knowledge. Based on the findings of the College Knowledge

survey, coupled with the findings of the financial assistance survey, Sallie Mae began

a 22 city tour promoting College Knowledge in Latino neighborhoods. 

49
Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

New York, N.Y.

Through a collaborative partnership with the National Center for Family Literacy

(NCFL), Toyota has supported the development of family literacy programs since

1991. The partnership focuses on raising the academic achievement of both parents

and their children that in turn leads to greater economic success for the entire

family. Toyota’s initial investment in 1991 made the development of the Toyota

Families for Learning (TFFL) program possible, which focuses on pre-school children and their parents. That very successful initiative was followed by the Toyota

Families in Schools (TFS) program, which was developed in 1998 and focuses on

the academic achievement of elementary school children and their families. The

success of those two initiatives led Toyota to commit to development of the Toyota

Family Literacy Program (TFLP), which is currently being implemented in five

major cities across the nation and focuses on family literacy services for Hispanic

and other immigrant families. 

The overall mission of the TFLP is to work to meet the unique educational and

economic needs of Hispanic and other immigrant families. Through this initiative,

high-quality family literacy services are being provided to hundreds of families

across the nation and positive results from the first full year of program implementation have been recognized. Parents are gaining language and literacy skills, and

are becoming more connected to their child’s education and school. Schools are

becoming more culturally responsive to the needs of families. This makes for a

winning situation for families, schools and communities. 

The TFLP initiative has attracted attention from educators at all levels, governors,

mayors, both state legislators and Congressional staff, as well as many national and

community-based organizations. Toyota’s collaborative partnership with NCFL has

allowed the opportunity to raise the awareness of the needs of Hispanic and other

immigrant families and to leverage other support for families. 

The goals of the NCFL in development of family literacy services match the goals

of Toyota. Toyota believes in helping people improve the quality of life in their

communities and we partner with organizations like NCFL that help to make our

world a better place. We invest in education programs that offer people the tools

and training they need to make a difference.

50
U.S. Department of Education

Washington, DC

Congress established the U.S. Department of Education on May 4, 1980. The

Department of Education has many functions which include: strengthening the

federal commitment to assure access to equal educational opportunity for every

individual; supplementing the efforts of states, the local school systems and other

stake holders in education; encouraging the involvement of the public, parents, and

students in federal education programs; and promoting improvements in education

through federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information.

The enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has brought about

the most dramatic education reform in the past 30 years. It has created an

unprecedented opportunity to finally improve the educational attainment of

Hispanic children and youths. The U.S. Department of Education accomplishes

the goals of NCLB through its various program offices and outreach. Below is a

brief description of programs within the Department that impact Hispanic students. 

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) provides financial

assistance to state and local education agencies for both public and private preschool, elementary, and secondary education. OESE promotes and supports equal

educational opportunities and educational excellence for all students. 

Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (ESEA), as

amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 provides supplemental education

funding, especially in high-poverty areas, through targeted assistance for students to

be able to meet challenging state standards by improving the academic achievement

of the disadvantaged. The Title 1, Part C, Migrant Education Program (MEP) has

the goal of ensuring that all migrant students reach challenging academic standards

and graduate with a high school education that prepares them for responsible

citizenship, further learning, and productive employment. 

Title III—language instruction for limited English proficient and immigrant

students—authorizes formula grants to states based on each state's share of the

nation's limited English proficient and recent immigrant student population.

The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) administers these programs

designed to enable students with limited English proficiency to become proficient

in English and meet challenging state academic content and student achievement

standards.

51
Many other programs within OESE support the education needs of Hispanic students. Reading First is an effort focused nationwide to help states and local school

districts eliminate the reading deficit and to enable all students to become successful early readers. The program provides professional development for teachers using

scientifically based reading programs, and ensures accountability through screening,

diagnostic, and classroom-based assessment. The 21st Century Community

Learning Centers help communities establish or expand learning centers that

provide extended learning opportunities for students and related services to their

families. The Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program funds activities to help promote

safe learning environments for students and address the needs of at-risk youths. 

While the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 addresses education in grades K-12,

The Higher Education Act (HEA) through the Office of Postsecondary Education

(OPE) has the mission of increasing student access to quality postsecondary education. Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1998 seeks to expand educational

opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students, and

expand and enhance Hispanic Serving colleges and universities. The HEA also

includes federal student financial aid such as Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS

loans, and the campus-based programs: Federal Work Study, Perkins loans, and

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants.

Other key Department of Education program offices include the Office for Civil

Rights which ensures equal access to education throughout the nation through

vigorous enforcement of civil rights; the Office of Innovation and Improvement,

which manages grants related to parental options, teacher quality, education

improvement, and technology, including charter schools, magnet schools and

52
parent information and resource centers; the Office of Vocational and Adult

Education, which, through the Preparing America's Future Initiative, is helping

reform America's high schools, support America's community colleges and expand

America's adult education programs; and the Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services, which assists in the education of children with disabilities

and the rehabilitation of adults with disabilities, and conducts research to improve

the lives of individuals with disabilities regardless of age. 

U.S. Department of Education, The Center for Faith-Based and

Community Initiatives

Washington, D.C.

Since the founding of our nation, faith-based and community organizations have

offered resourceful ways to meet the challenges facing the country. Some of the

most successful, uplifting and effective programs to help needy Americans are run

by faith-based and community organizations. Many of the organizations that the

Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives provides technical assistance to

are Hispanic organizations. 

To welcome the participation of faith-based and community organizations in federal

programs and to strengthen their capacity to meet the social needs of America’s communities, President Bush issued a series of executive orders directing 10 federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education, to establish Centers for FaithBased and Community Initiatives (Center). The center at the U.S. Department of

Education is breaking down existing barriers and empowering faith-based and community groups, enlisting them in support of the Department’s mission to ensure

equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans.

From after-school programs to weekend computer labs, from early reading to

family literacy, there are many opportunities for faith-based and community

organizations to become involved. 

The center is making the federal grants process less confusing for faith-based and

community organizations. To help in the application process, the center conducts

grant-writing training workshops, produces instructional videos, offers online

webcasts and provides one-on-one phone support to answer specific questions

about individual grants. The center regularly sends out grant announcements and

information about free technical assistance. 

Executive branch policy stipulates that, within the framework of constitutional

guidelines, faith-based organizations should be able to compete on an equal footing

with other private organizations for funding by the U.S. Department of Education. 

53
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF)

Washington, D.C.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the Department of

Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for federal programs that

promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and

communities. ACF has a strong commitment to working with people with developmental disabilities, refugees, and migrants to address their needs, strengths, and

abilities. 

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) advises the secretary,

through the assistant secretary for children and families, on matters relating to the

sound development of children, youths, and families by planning, developing and

implementing a broad range of activities such as the Adoption Opportunities

program and others aimed at the development and provision of child welfare services; and administers discretionary grant programs providing Head Start services and

facilities for runaway youths. ACYF also supports and encourages services that

prevent or remedy the effects of abuse and neglect of children and youths.

The ACYF develops and implements research, demonstration and evaluation strategies for the discretionary funding of activities designed to improve and enrich the

lives of youths and to strengthen families. It administers child welfare services training and child welfare services research and demonstration programs authorized by

title IV-B of the Social Security Act; administers the Runaway and Homeless Youth

Act authorized by title III of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act;

and manages initiatives to involve the private and voluntary sectors in the areas of

children, youths and families.

54
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was established

as a Cabinet Department by the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Act effective Nov. 9, 1965.

HUD is the federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that

address America’s housing needs, that improve and develop the nation’s communities that enforce fair housing laws. HUD’s mission is to help create a decent home

and suitable living environment and to increase homeownership for all Americans. 

HUD has a record of accomplishments that spans more than 30 years. Thousands of

communities and tens of millions of Americans have benefited from HUD’s housing

and community development programs, which include the Community Development

Block Grant to develop urban communities for moderate and low-income families.

Additionally, HUD has pushed forth initiatives that seek to increase Hispanic home

ownership and minority contracting to increase Hispanic entrepreneurship. 

HUD also began coordinating efforts to improve colonias, the communities along

the U.S.-Mexico border, through its programs that assist distressed communities

and address their needs. The Southwest Border Region Initiative also works to

identify existing resources and collaborate with federal, state and local partners to

improve the plight of colonias and farm worker communities

U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Washington, D.C.

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration administers

the nation’s public workforce investment system, which provides high-quality job

training, employment, labor market information, and income maintenance services

primarily through a network of over 3,500 One-Stop Career Centers. The OneStop Career Centers provide seamless delivery of numerous employment and

training programs to job seekers and businesses. The federal programs delivered

through this system are funded at over $15 billion a year and include universal

programs that provide services to all individuals as well as targeted programs

designed for specific populations such as individuals with limited English

proficiency, older workers, individuals with disabilities, and Hispanics.

55
The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration developed the

Hispanic Worker Initiative to help Hispanic Americans take advantage of job opportunities in high-growth sectors of the economy such as hospitality, health care,

service and construction. These growth sectors of the economy offer ample opportunity for employment and career advancement to new and untapped labor pools

such as Hispanics. Through this initiative, a pipeline of qualified workers will be

supplied to high-growth industries to ensure their competitiveness in the 21st

century economy.

The Labor Department’s Hispanic Worker Initiative is pursuing the following

strategies to address the challenges faced by Hispanic Americans when looking for

quality employment: help Hispanics to develop language and occupational skills;

help Hispanic youths stay on an educational path that leads to rewarding careers;

and encourage collaboration between employers, community colleges and the

public workforce system to help Hispanic Americans build the skills required in

growing industries

The Department has invested resources in several unique and innovative projects

that address the identified workforce challenges of Hispanic Americans. 

Verizon, Inc.

Washington, D.C.

Improving literacy levels in the United States has always been a top priority for

Verizon. Its goal is to improve literacy levels among Hispanics in America through

a combination of corporate philanthropy, employee participation, celebrity volunteers, partnerships with literacy organizations and contributions from its customers.

Literacy—in particular, computer literacy—is a primary building block of communications, necessary for individuals to unlock the power and full potential of the

broadband communities that Verizon is building. One of the many programs with

which Verizon is a premier partner is the League of United Latin American Citizens

(LULAC) and its Young Readers Program.

Verizon’s signature program is Verizon Reads. Its mission is to encourage collaboration among literacy organizations, increase public awareness of low literacy levels

and generate funds and support for local and national literacy programs. Under the

Verizon Reads umbrella, Verizon annually contributes about $17 million toward literacy programs nationwide. 

56
57

Youth Development Inc.

Albuquerque, N.M.

Youth Development Inc. (YDI) was founded in 1971, and is a nationally recognized youth service organization that provides educational, developmental, and

humanitarian assistance to children, youths, and their families in primarily Hispanic

communities in the central and northern parts of New Mexico. YDI’s mission is to

work with the community to create and effectively implement a results-based continuum of services assuring that children, youths, and their families achieve their

full potential. YDI’s programs include tutoring, after-school activities, gang intervention, school drop-out prevention, family counseling services, emergency shelter,

youth sports, internships, scholarships, parenting skills, leadership development,

public housing assistance, community corrections programs, GED studies, early

childhood education via 33 Head Start centers, substance abuse prevention, AIDS

education and many others.

For over 30 years, YDI has been an advocate for programs and services for over

20,000 low-income, at-risk children and their parents each year. In doing this, YDI

has many partners that work in conjunction with its divisions. This year, YDI is

partnering with the Albuquerque Public Schools, Explora, the City of

Albuquerque, Bernadillo County and others to seek funding for early childhood

education, after-school programs, workforce training for youths, dropout prevention, GED, health and wellness activities, technology, a youth crisis shelter, and

other services that provide a broad array of comprehensive and enhanced services

that are easily accessible to the target populations that they serve. YDI employs a

well-trained, professional, educated and culturally diverse staff that is familiar with

the norms, values and traditions of the population and communities it serves. The

staff provides a consistent service delivery system that defines the programs and

ensures that clients achieve their service goals and maintains a quality infrastructure

that effectively supports the direct service components through a management

information system that is currently being implemented.

YDI has received numerous awards and honors in recognition of dedication and

achievements as a youth services provider. 
58

Department of Education Publications

A complete list of publications, many of which are in English and Spanish,

may be viewed on the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site at

www.ed.gov/about/pubs/intro

To order publications, write to: 

ED PUBS

Education Publications Center 

U.S. Department of Education 

P.O. Box 1398 

Jessup, MD 20794-1398 

or fax your request to: (301) 470-1244 

or e-mail your request to: edpubs@inet.ed.gov

or call in your request toll-free: 1-877-433-7827 (1-877-4-ED-PUBS).

If 877 service is not yet available in your area, call 1-800-872-5327

(1-800-USA-LEARN). Those who use a telecommunications device for

the deaf (TDD) or a teletypewriter (TTY) should call 1-877-576-7734.

or order online at: www.edpubs.org 
400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Room 5E110

Washington, DC 20202-3601

Phone: (202) 401-1411 Fax: (202) 401-8377

www.YesICan.gov

White House Initiative

On Educational Excellence

for Hispanic Americans