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Inspired in a Yoruba sculpture-temple, Santiago’s fifth grade students conceived the drawing above with chalk on blackboard in 1996.

 

 

 

Santiago in ‘Steam Heat’–
"Can't miss with their showy good times and percussive isolations."

—The Tribune, 1985, Los Angeles

 

 

 

Articles Related to Miguel F. Santiago


From the Daily Bulletin, June 24, 2000:

School said to exclude parents

Mother complains Westmont prevents participation in bilingual education.

By Andrew Wainer, Staff Writer


POMONA - Westmont Elementary School parent Ninfa Vela has filed a formal complaint with the state Department of Education, claiming the school is preventing bilingual parents from adequate participation in their children’s education.

Vela, who is president of the west Pomona school’s bilingual advisory committee, said the committee has been denied the opportunity to review their children’s school materials, which she and other parents suspect are below state standards.

In her complaint filed with the state in April, Vela also claims committee parents were not included in the formation of a school plan, which Vela said is part of the committee’s responsibilities.

The complaint is under review by the state agency.

Department of Education program complaints manager Howie DeLane confirmed that it is one of the committee’s tasks to advise the school administration on the school plan. DeLane also said parent committees have the right to examine bilingual materials first hand.

But Westmont Principal Roberta Cendejas played down Vela’s accusations, saying the school plan was translated to Spanish for the parents and that teachers conducted their own review of bilingual materials, finding them to be up to state standards.

“We gave them the results of the teacher survey of our bilingual materials, and they still wanted to do it in person,” Cendejas said. The parents may not be aware of what to look for in evaluating the material”

Pomona Unified School District Deputy Superintendent Thelma Melendez said district policy states that parents are encouraged to review “all materials being used in their children’s educational program.” She also said parent committees are expected to provide information for school plans. But Vela and some Westmont teachers said the district has not recognized parents’ complaints.

“The parents felt they were not being heard by the district,” fifth grade teacher Miguel Santiago said. “They have done everything they can within the law to get the answers. It’s been a very painful process.”

Vela said, at best, the district has met parents’ demands with half-measures. She initially filed her complaint with the district in February, but the district told her on April 7 that it found no violations, prompting Vela to appeal the complaint at the state level.

She cites the teachers’ survey of bilingual materials as an example of the school and district not meeting parents’ legitimate demands to be involved in their children’s education.

“Sacramento told us that committee members can be involved in all processes, including visiting classrooms,” Vela said.

Vela added that parents’ trust of district reports and information is low after a funding shortfall for the school’s bilingual program was reported in December.

The shortfall was eventually attributed to district error, but district officials initially denied responsibility for the error until the parents took their complaint to the state.

Vela said the district is again responding to parent concerns with denials and threats.

She said she originally brought the complaint concerning the school plan and materials survey to the district in April, but officials responded by saying it could not verify the parents’ complaints.

The bilingual advisory committee also met with district spokesman Enrique Medina on June 8 to discuss the issue.

Vela said Medina told the parents group it was illegally created because of a minor violation of committee protocol. He said they would be forced to conduct a new committee election as soon as possible.

Unable to get a positive response from the district, Vela responded by again taking her concerns to the state.

Vela, along with other parents and teachers, also spoke at a PUSD board of education meeting on Tuesday night.

“We want the board to know that we want to be part of the solution,” Vela said. “We want to be involved with our children’s education.”

 

 

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