President's Vision

News

For Public Comments to the Commission, please click here

For Immediate Release

White House Hispanic Education Commission Joins Education Secretary to Host Bilingual Town Hall

LAS VEGAS, NV-Over 450 parents, students and community leaders packed into Rancho High School to hear details about the President's new education law "No Child Left Behind." U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin and Jaime Escalante, the distinguished educator from East Los Angeles, joined U. S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige on his No Child Left Behind Tour Across America to reach out to Las Vegas parents and community leaders about the importance of this new law and to ask for their help in improving our local schools.

At one of the first bilingual Town Hall sponsored by the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, Secretary Paige offered ways the new law would improve Hispanic education. Most importantly, the No Child Left Behind Act will help to close the growing achievement gap among Hispanic students and help to ensure that all students have the same opportunities getting to college. While speaking with parents, Secretary Paige and Treasurer Marin answered questions from families, educators and members of the community about how parents and community leaders can help in educating all students.

Marin, the top-ranking Latina in the Bush Administration and en ex-officio member of the Advisory Commission, told the crowd in English and Spanish her personal story of success in this country, speaking of the support her mother gave her. "My dear mom, when I worked until three in the morning on homework she was right there," said Marin. "She couldn't help me, she didn't speak English...but she was right there. And when I was appointed treasurer, she was right there."

"We must have the help of parents," said Paige. "Families must be involved. For education to be transformed and schools to improve, parents must expect results from their schools and do their part to help teachers as well as track their schools' improvement."

Las Vegas is the fourth stop on a 25-city No Child Left Behind Tour Across America and first of four town hall meetings the President's Advisory Commission will host. The Commission is charged with charting a multi-year plan to close the educational achievement gap for Hispanic Americans. The plan will highlight models of success that will help improve achievement among Hispanic students through coordinated efforts among parents, community leaders, business leaders, educators and public officials.

###