Spanish links

Suzie Harrison

Laguna’s Latino community has grown large enough so that the school

district has found the need for a full-time liaison to bridge the gap

between Spanish-speaking parents and the schools.

Ricardo Gallegos has taken the new position that he said provides

parents with the comfort to know that someone who speaks their

language is available to them directly.

Assistant Supt. Steven Keller said Gallegos started doing the work

before he started getting paid two weeks ago.

Keller and El Morro Principal Joanne Culverhouse were the

instigators of having this position for Laguna’s schools.

Keller said that he and Culverhouse were brainstorming about the

district’s needs last year along with listening to the Laguna Beach

Cross Cultural Task Force in a collaborative effort.

The task force was implemented last year and with its success the

district wanted to make even greater strides.

“We realized we started something special for our Spanish speaking

community and realized we wanted to do more,” Keller said. “We didn’t

want this to be a one-year extravaganza -- we wanted it to energize,

empower and engage our Spanish speaking community.

Another bonus about the position is that it is being funded

entirely through Title I, which is federal funding.

“It’s not coming out of the district’s general fund,” Keller said.

“It’s an appropriate and excellent use of Title I money.”

Gallegos likes every facet of his job and likes the fact that his

efforts will facilitate the engagement of more of the Spanish

speaking community as part of Laguna’s larger community.

“It got to the point where they needed someone in the position

full time to address the needs and supply the support to our Spanish

speaking families -- and it’s all academically focused,” Gallegos

said.

He said that the purpose is to enhance Spanish-speaking parents

experience as parents in Laguna’s educational system.

The Latino population, he said, makes up about 10%.

“I serve primarily as the primary translator for the schools in

the district,” Gallegos said. “I work for all the schools in Laguna

Beach and am housed out of El Morro.”

If a family needs any type of support, whether it’s understanding

any type of procedure or process, they can call Gallegos directly and

he can guide them through the proper channels.

“And I walk through the process with them, they usually ask me to

because of their comfort level with the English language,” Gallegos

said. “Also if families need some type of contact or resource with

medical or housing or whatever it may be -- it’s my responsibility to

research that information and bring it back to those families.”

Another portion of his responsibilities includes outreach to

engage these families through the PTA, various scheduled events and

through a series of workshops.

“The workshops specifically target academic information for

parents and students,” Gallegos said. “What we’re trying to do is to

provide parents the information from beginning to end starting with

kindergarten all the way through college information.”

One example is the “We’re Going to College” workshop on higher

education and the different options that are available to Laguna’s

students.

“It’s important to realize that it’s called “we’re” going to

college because it’s a family experience not just an individual

experience for the student,” Gallegos said.

Middle school and high school orientation is part of the process

so that parents can get familiar with the process that their children

go through from having one class in elementary school to six

different classes a day.

“Some parents are confused as to what’s the process or procedure,”

Gallegos said. “At all the school sites, ideally we’ll have a

workshop and go visit the campus so they can walk on the campus

before school starts, so that in September it’s not their first time

-- and it will be familiar who to speak with if they have any

questions.”

Some workshops are “How Can You Be Involved with Your Child’s

School” and “Learning How Parents Can Support their Children’s

Learning.”

In October, Gallegos and Culverhouse are going to go door to door

canvassing the approximately 100 Spanish-speaking families in the

district.

“The purpose is to first of all introduce us to the parents and

secondly to invite them personally to attend those workshops,”

Gallegos said. “El Morro has approximately 40 Spanish speaking

families and the rest are at Thurston, Top of the World and Laguna

Beach High School -- we’ll be doing a lot of outreach.”

His hope is that they will have the Spanish-speaking parents

engaged in all or any activity that supports academic achievement,

and to see the Latino students to move onto higher education.

“I feel so fortunate to be a part of the Laguna Beach Unified

School district and the community as a Latino,” Gallegos said. “I

feel my work and me as an individual have been embraced both by our

school board, Dr. Daem, Dr. Keller and the community at large.”

Gallegos brings with him 10 years experience serving the Baldwin

Park Unified School District, eight of those as the community

liaison.

To reach Gallegos or for more information including specific times

and dates, call (949) 497-4862.