Panel discussion to explore ‘Latinos and Education’

An upcoming free event will examine the story of Latino education in the Carolinas during the last two decades. “Latinos and Education: Success and Challenges,” scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 1, at the Levine Museum of the New South, is presented by the UNC Charlotte College of Education in conjunction with the museum’s exhibit “¡NUEVOlution! Latinos and the New South.”

The mid-1990s heralded a new Latino South during which the Charlotte region became a destination for Latino migration. With the steady arrival of transnationals in K-12 classrooms, North Carolina school districts had to consider how to respond instructionally.

This Feb. 1 event will explore the successes and struggles associated with those efforts. Panelists, who will discuss topics that include bi-literacy development, pre-service teacher education and the Latino K-12-college pipeline, are Jose Hernandez-Paris, executive director of the Latin American Coalition, and associate professors Adriana Medina, Paola Pilonieta and Spencer Salas.

While free and open to the public, registration is requested.

In his role with the Latin American Coalition, Hernandez-Paris leads efforts to promote full and equal participation in the civic, economic and cultural life of North Carolina through education and 
advocacy. Previously, he was the diversity specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. He was raised in Charlotte and was part of the first cohort of students to graduate from the English as a Second Language program.

Medina, a faculty member in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education, teaches content area literacy, reading assessment and intervention and reading instruction for English language learners. Her research interests include adolescent struggles with literacy, teacher education and educational program evaluation.

Coordinator of the University’s Undergraduate Reading Program, Pilonieta researches comprehension instruction in primary grades and teacher education. Born in Bogota, Colombia, with English as her second language, Pilonieta also is interested in bi-literacy development in children.

Salas, a faculty member in the Department of Middle, Secondary and K-12 Education, is co-editor of Latinization of K-12 Communities, U.S. Latinos and Education Policy and Vygotsky in 21st Century Society. His scholarship focuses on teachers’ negotiation of New South contexts and the implications of Latino immigration for educational policy and practice.