Original opinion appears in: TUSD board should appeal the dismantling of Mexican American Studies.

As University of Arizona faculty, professionals and alumni, we are deeply concerned about the dismantling of Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies program. We argue that it is imperative that this decision be reconsidered.

The polarization that we currently see between majority and minority communities, the damage that we already see done to the TUSD MAS students, and the lack of understanding of the implications that the dismantling of MAS has on ethnic relations for Tucson is what compels us to speak out.

Some have argued that the MAS program served only a small number of low socioeconomic status children who should receive cultural education at home.

As used to be the case with women and African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are not aware of their role in, and contributions to, U.S. history because until recently there has not been a critical mass of scholars able to conduct serious research in these areas.

The accomplishments of the students who took MAS courses speak for themselves: They passed the AIMS test, graduated and attended college at the same or higher rate than their TUSD peers who did not take these courses.

According to TUSD institutional data, those who participated in the curriculum brought up all their grades (even math, which was not taught by the program), graduating with grades slightly higher than their peers even though their grades had been sub-par prior to taking MAS.

The independent audit from Cambium Learning Inc. commissioned by the office of the state superintendent of schools to review the TUSD MAS curriculum after A.R.S. § 15-112 was passed by the Arizona Legislature, speaks clearly. The 120-page report found that MAS did not violate state law. Yet, while ignoring the Cambium audit’s findings, the super-intendent of schools ordered TUSD to close down the MAS program, threatening to penalize TUSD with the loss of $15 million in state funding.

The TUSD board elected to close down the MAS program mainly for fear of losing 10 percent of TUSD’s budget in a district already struggling economically, and for fear of falling into “receivership” where the state would take over local control of the district, instead of legally appealing the validity of the state’s ruling in light of the findings of the Cambium audit.

TUSD has now made unavailable history books and novels written by prestigious Mexican-American authors. Most of the signatories of this op-ed have read these books and can attest to the fact that they are not “subversive,” “communist,” or promote “anti-traditional American values.”

We claim that traditional American values enshrine the rights of all citizens to study and express views that do not necessarily agree with those of the majority. This is particularly important when programs like MAS have a proven track record of improving student success.

Finally, while some allege that ethnic studies fuel racial divides, the dismantling of MAS has brought even more strife to an ethnically divided community. There are many in the Latino community who feel that this is a direct affront to their culture, that their voices are not important, that they are not valued, and that they are not equals. If our end goal is to put away racial and ethnic boundaries, the ban on MAS is having the opposite effect.

We ask the TUSD board to appeal the MAS decision in light of the Cambium Report, and to reinstate or expand the program per the report’s recommendations.

Maria Teresa Velez is a psychologist and research scientist, UA School of Family and Consumer Sciences.; Francisco A. Garcia is a UA professor of public health; and Diane Castro is a UA alumna and former student affairs administrator. Email the authors at mtvelez47@gmail.com This column is signed by more than 50 others. 

The following people signed this opinion:

Alberto Arenas, PhD, Education

Damian Baca, PhD, English

Paloma Beamer, PhD, Public Health

Nolan Cabrera, PhD, Education

Socorro Carrizosa, MA, Student Services

Scott Carvajal, PhD, Public Health

Christopher Castro, PhD, Atmospheric Science

Javier Duran, Spanish & Portuguese

Richard Eribes, PhD, Dean Emeritus, Architecture, Landscape Architecture & Planning

Antonio Estrada, MSPH, PhD, Mexican American Studies

Celestino Fernandez, PhD, Sociology

J.D. Garcia, PhD, Physics

Francisco Garcia, MD, MPH, Public Health,

Raquel Goldsmith, J.D., Mexican American Studies

Patricia Gonzáles, PhD., Mexican American Studies & American Indian Studies

Norma Gonzalez, PhD., Education

Marie Griego Jones, PhD., Education

Laura Gutierrez-Escarpita, PhD., Spanish & Portuguese

Roberto Guzman, PhD., Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Andrew Huerta, PhD. Candidate, Graduate College

Adela Licona, PhD. , English

Andrew Huerta, PhD. Candidate

Oscar Lujan, Alumni Office

Francisco Marmolejo, MBA

Luis Moll, PhD., Education

Anna Ochoa O’Leary, PhD., Mexican American Studies

Lydia Otero, PhD., Mexican American Studies

Alfred J. Quiroz, MFA, Fine Arts

Juan M. Restrepo, PhD., Mathematics & Physics

Iliana Reyes, PhD., Education

Gary Rhodes, PhD., Education

Roberto Rodriquez, PhD., Mexican American Studies

Andrea Romero, PhD., Family Studies

Cecilia B. Rosales, M.D., MPH, Public Health

Elaine Rubenstein-Avila, PhD., Education

Richard Ruiz, PhD., Education

Reyes Sierra, PhD., Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Sandra Soto, PhD., Gender and Women’s Studies

Charles Tatum, PhD. Former Dean of Humanities, Spanish & Portuguese

Maria Tellez, PhD., Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry

Maria Teresa Velez, PhD., Graduate College

William Yslas Velez, PhD., Mathematics

Gloria Alvillar, UA alumna

Diane Castro, MA

Marty Cortez, M.A

Janis Gallego, J.D.

Rick Gonzalez, J.D.

John Huerta, UA alumnus

Sofia Martinez Ramos, MBA, PhD.

Oscar R. Miranda, UA almuna

JJ Rico, J.D.

Adriana Rincon

Alex Rodriquez, M.A., former TUSD Board President

Sandy Soto, MA

Juan Soto, MA

Mercy Valencia, PhD.

L. René Corrales, Ph.D., Chemistry & Biochemistry and Material Science & Engineering

Valerina Quintana, M.Ed. (alum)

Maria Telles, Ph.D.

Liz Rangel, Ph.D. (alum)

Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/tusd-board-should-appeal-the-dismantling-of-mexican-american-studies/article_b839563a-5a95-11e1-9845-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1n1xMc6Ft