College Prep for All

Campaign Image for front page: 

A Strong Public Education System is the Cornerstone of Equality, Justice and a Democratic Society!

Padres & Jovenes Unidos strongly believes that ALL students have the right to an excellent, college-preparatory education. All of our campaigns reflect this belief: our communities need and deserve college-prep for all schools, equal access to higher education for our immigrant youth, the end to the school-to-jail track that funnels low-income students and students of color away from school and into the juvenile justice system and schools that provide a healthy learning environment. In essence, we are calling for the Freedom to Learn. Our first campaign to achieve the freedom to learn is our College Prep for ALL campaign.

For nearly two decades now, Padres & Jovenes Unidos has been organizing for educational justice in the Denver Metro Area. We continue our work today because even with some improvements over the years, there is still major systemic failure.

While educators, policy makers and politicians have been and continue to launch a sea of reform efforts at local, state and national levels, still only 69 out of 100 ninth graders graduate four years later nationwide (EPE 2009). Colorado's latest graduation rate (2009) is somewhat better at 75% (Colorado Department of Education or CDE). Denver Public Schools (DPS), like many inner-city districts, does not boast from great numbers either. In fact, in DPS just 53% of entering ninth graders in the class of 2008-09 graduated four years later (CDE), a rate much lower than the state's and nation's rate.

For low-income students of color, the odds are far worse. Only 46 out of 100 Latino students, 56 out of 100 Black students and 32 out of 100 Native American students graduated in 2009.

The numbers speak for themselves - we are loosing the majority of our low-income and students of color. Our college prep for all campaign focuses on addressing this educational crisis. Our call for a high quality education encompasses the following elements of success:

• A rigorous, college prep curriculum for ALL
• High quality teaching and instruction
• High expectations and a college-going culture
• Strategic academic interventions and strong student supports

For more information or to get involved with our College Prep for All campaign, contact Marco Nunez at (303) 458-6545 or marco@padresunidos.org.