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Voces de Casa Maria

ACHIEVEMENT GAP WIDE BETWEEN WHITE AND MINORITY STUDENTS // BRECHA ANCHO ENTRE BLANCO Y ESTUDIANTES PERTENECIENTES A MINORÍAS

5 min read by Cesar Aguirre I guess it was no surprise to see this headline on the front page of Monday’s Star (7/13/2015). Read the story at: http://tucson.com/news/local/education/achievement-gap-wide-between-white-and-minority-students/article_8d13b21c-0671-56ee-a8e9-06f7cc8462f3.html I have been an outspoken advocate against standardized testing mainly for this reason, among many others, and it can get very frustrating knowing these facts and not being able to do much about it as a parent. For years the data has shown the educational disparity between anglo and minority students. In an educational system so obsessed with the collection and study of data how is it that these numbers are being ignored. I always

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POPE’S CHALLENGE TO THE RICH // EL PAPA NOS PIDE QUE PAREMOS LAS ACCIONES AUTODESTRUCTIVAS

< 1 min read by Brian Flagg An editorial from the most recent National Catholic Reporter (July 3-16, 2015) see: http://ncronline.org/blogs/eco-catholic/editorial-encyclical-pope-francis-issues-challenge-rich EL PAPA NOS PIDE QUE PAREMOS LAS ACCIONES AUTODESTRUCTIVAS por Raul Grijalva Visita: http://tucson.com/laestrella/noticias/el-papa-nos-pide-parar-las-acciones-autodestructivas/article_05001b24-e40f-522c-baaa-6b9a07005410.html

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WELCOME ALICIA NUÑEZ // BIENVENIDA ALICIA NUÑEZ

2 min read We at Casa Maria are excited that a long time friend and supporter Alicia Nuñez is now working and living at Casa Maria, in the duplex on 26th street next to the Cesar Aguirre family. by Alicia Nuñez Hi my name is Alicia Nuñez. I was born in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. I’ve lived in the United States for 22 years. I’m a single mother of a 14 year old daughter. I belong to the Santa Cruz Church and I’m an active member of this parish as an extraordinary Eucharistic Minister. In addition, I’m a member of the Secular Order of

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PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC ON THE 4TH OF JULY! // ¡ORGULLOSO DE SER CATÓLICO EN EL 4 DE JULIO!

2 min read by Brian Flagg I’m gonna celebrate by attending the 5:30 mass at Santa Cruz. I’m gonna give thanks and praise that I’m part of a church who’s head guy, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, actually talks and acts like Jesus or one of the prophets! See the article in today’s Star at: http://tucson.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/heeding-francis-iowa-catholic-leaders-to-pressure-field/article_3c51f00f-e786-51f0-b21b-08a98bb8adeb.html Yesterday in Iowa, Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines implored presidential candidates to “take up Pope Francis’ call for ‘profound political courage’ by focusing their campaigns as much on improving the environment and income inequality as they have on opposing gay marriage and abortion in past elections.” Francis’

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TUCSON BUS RIDERS UNION NEWS-THE POSITIVE SPIN

2 min read by Brian Flagg, Approximately 30 of us from the Bus Riders Union, loud and proud, attended the emergency Transit Task Force meeting yesterday. Our presence there helped the Task Force vote to stop $458,000 of the proposed $1.1 million in cuts to 9 bus routes. Particularly disappointing was a 4-3 vote to reduce frequency on the Broadway bus (the #8). I am trying to be positive about this. Our efforts did force a process that will restore a small portion of the cuts. So why do I feel so frustrated? I guess this makes me evaluate our recent bus rider

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MY BEEF WITH TESTING

6 min read by Cesar Aguirre Last night I was organizing things in my room when I ran across an article I was quoted in regarding standardized testing and parents’ right to opt-out http://tucson.com/news/local/education/more-parents-see-standardized-tests-as-harmful/article_489549a5-5dfa-5a7b-9324-1065d37866bc.html. The one thing I must say before I go on is that, despite what the title says, I am not against testing. I only have beef with standardized testing! Now, I can go on a rant and write a novel talking about all the reasons I am against standardized testing, but I’ll spare you the whole profit driven corporate machine using our kids as guinea pigs to “reform” our

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MY WEEKEND AT CASA MARIA

2 min read by Cesar (Big Cesar) Aguirre My usual weekend, going to Tucson from Ajo and helping out at Casa Maria when I can. This past weekend my son unexpectedly asked me to join him for a book study gathering at Brian’s. I was hesitant to go but I did anyway (my best move of the day). I found myself among some of the people I had met at Casa Maria last winter while volunteering in the soup kitchen. The topic was a book titled ¡Hugo! As I listened in (keep in mind I had never read the book or heard of

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THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH AND WHAT THE RESEARCH SUPPORTS

3 min read Special thanks to the Tucson Children’s Project, Mimi Gray, Pauline Baker, Ben Mardel, Teresa Acevedo, and especially Lella Gandini of Reggio Emilia, Italy for making this all possible. by Cesar Aguirre As an avid supporter of public education and an extremely involved parent at Ochoa Elementary, I have done a lot of research and studied best practices of early childhood education. Over the weekend the Tucson Children’s Project held a conference titled “What the Research Supports”. I was in attendance, along with many dedicated teachers from Ochoa. Ochoa is a Reggio Inspired Magnet school. It’s the only public school of

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WELCOME OCHOA ELEMENTARY’S NEW PRINCIPAL JULIO MORENO

< 1 min read The South Tucson and Ochoa community have organized over the years to improve the the community and keep the schools in our barrio open. We continue to organize today to improve the quality of education for our barrio youth. Due to this work the parents have been successful in working with Tucson Unified School District to find the right leader to take Ochoa’s magnet program (Reggio Emilia) to the next level. Join us on Thursday, January 22nd, 2015 at 6pm at the John Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S. 6th Ave. to welcome our new principal, Julio Moreno, to the community.

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IN DEFENSE OF AUGIE ROMERO

2 min read by Cesar Aguirre On the second page of today’s Daily Star (12/2/14) the headline reads, “State reviewing TUSD on Mexican American Studies”. This is because Augustine Romero was baited into an argument over whether or not Mexican American Studies had returned to TUSD in the form of a federally required Culturally Relevant Curriculum (CRC) that is being implemented because of a 40 year old desegregation lawsuit. Augustine Romero is the new principal at Pueblo High school and from where we sit, on the south side of Tucson, we see a man who is passionate about educational justice, who fights for

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