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The Challenge of EduCation: No Time To Waste, NoRoom, for Failure.Cuban American National Council, Inc.Ford Foundation, New York, N.Y.9031p.; Based on oral presentations made at theNational Conference of the Cuban American NationalCouncil (5th, Miami, FL, January 24-25, 1990),Cuban American National Council, 300 S.W. TwelfthAvenue, 3rd Floor, Miami, Fl 33130-2038 ($3.00).Viewpoints (120) -- Reports - General (140) --Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021)

MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.Accountability; Dropout Prevention; *EducationalChange; Educational Improvement; *Education WorkRelat:ionship; Elementary Secondary Education; EqualEducat:_on; F.J.gh Risk Students; *Hispanic Americans;*Labor Force Development; Minority Groups; *ParentParticipation; School Effectiveness; TeacherExpectations of Students; Values Education

IDENTIFIERS *Business Role; Cultural Sensitivity; HispanicAmerican Students

ABSTRACTThis paper summarizes issues and perspectives that

form the basis of current educational debate. The paper contends thatearly in the 21st century, Hispanics and other minorities willconstitute the majority of the work force in major markets across thenation. The lack of preparedness of over half the potential pool ofminority workers will have a profound negative impact on the U.S.economy. The paper sketches and notes the disadvantages of threepotential strategies: (1) expensive retraining of workers; (2)

reformulation of jobs so that they require low skill attainment andpay sub-living wages; and (3) automation vr the seeking of skilled

workers from abroad. The paper summarizes major themes of theeducation reform movement and presents the following broad policyrecommendations: (1) business leaders must play a more powerful role

in the national education debate; (2) strong parent involvement inschool-based activities and in supporting education at home must bevigorously promoted; (3) accountability and national standards mustbe set and upheld; (4) the dependency of the U.S. retirement systemon the contributions of minority workers must be publicized; and (5)

a balance must be struck between reforms that require increased

revenues and those that require behavioral and organizational change.

Two appendixes are included. (AF)

************************************************************************ Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made *

* from the original document. *

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The ChallengeOf EducationNo Time To WasteNo Room For Failure

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS

MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

604rio 0 f MjiLz

C44.it 6417 SAP% 441C4C

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

OtPAIITMENT OF IEDUCATIONOffics or Edocatonai Ralearch and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

This dOciiment Pat been rilldroducedrece,vep from the °onion or organization

911aling itMillOr change, have Peen mode to nmprovefreprOduction qua)ity

Pointsotvi.wo opinionIatatet In this docu-ment do nol rwcsurify nepresent officigiOERI position or wavy

Published byThe Cuban American Policy Center

a program ofThe Cuban American National Council, lnc.

Cuban AmericanNational Council, Inc.

300 S.W. Twelfth Avenue, Third FloorMiami, Florida 33130-2038

(305) 642-3484

afficgra

Agustin de GoytisoloChairman

Alina E. BeckerSecretary

Maria AcostaTreasurer

Guarione M. DiazPresidentlExecutive Director

Boar(' of Directors

Wilfredo AllenAntonio L. ArgizEnrique BaloyraLaureano BatistaNelson BenerlicoMarta BequerPeter BernalAnne BetancourtElva Collazo-BodnerFederico Costa lesRita Di MartinoAlbert E. DotsonNancy DreicerJorge EscalonaAna M. Fernandez-HaarMarcelo Fernandez-ZayasVincent ForteJuan GalanMargarita GarciaMario GoderichSara Gomez

3

Pedro Jose Greer, Jr.Jose Manuel HernándezAntonio JorgeAda KirbyCarmela LacayoIvan LlorenteSergio MasvidalMarta MiyaresBeatriz OliveraJose S. PrinceRichard J. Razook, Jr.Rene RochaAngel RodriguezJorge SalazarCelia SuarezFrank ToranoBarton UdellMario VizcainoRaul YzaguirreTere Zubizarreta

The ChallengeOf Education

No Time To WasteNo Room For Failure

Cuban AmericanNational Council, Inc.

Miami, FloridaSpring 1990

4

The Challenge of Education: No Time to Waste, No Room forFailuie was prepared by the Cuban American Policy Center(CAP°, a program of the Cuban American National Council(CNC), funded by the Ford Foundation.

Editor:

Guarione M. DiazPresident/Executive Director

Cuban American National Council

Publications Committee:

Antonio JorgeProfessor of Political EconomyFlorida International UniversitySenior Research ScholarUniversity of Miami

Jorge SalazarPmfessor and former Chair,Department of EconomicsFlorida International University

Peter BernalConsultant on Latin AmericaP.L.B. Consultants

Thomas D. BoswellProfessor of GeographyUniversity of Miami

Consulting Editors:

Alejandro PorteProfessor of SociologyThe Johns Hopkins University

Jose A.VillamilChief EconomistU.S. Department of Commerce

Enrique BaloyraAssociate Dean, GraduateSchool of International Studies

University of Miami

Lisandro PerezChairman, Department ofSociology and Anthropology

Florida International University

To order additional copies of The Challenge of Education, send checkor money order for $3.00 per copy (includes postage and handling) to:

Cuban American National Council300 S.W. Twelfth Avenue, Third Floor

Miami, FL 33130-2035

roA United Way

Supported Agency

Copyright 0 1990. Reproduction of this report, partially or in itsentirety, is permitted only with prior written permission from thepublisher.

Cuban American Policy Center

The academic achievement of U.S. studentsrich andpoor alikeis falling behind that of other western coun-tries. The nation's competitive position depends on thepreparedness of its leaders, managers, and workers. Thecomplex challenge of improving our education systems,therefore, must become a national priority. There is notime to waste and no room for failure.

This paper represents a summary of the issues andperspectives that form the basis of the current educa-tional debate.

By and large, the contents in this publication werederived from oral presentations made at the CubanAmerican National Council Fifth National Conferencein January 1990. Most of the sources cited within werespeakers and participants of four consecutive work-shops, two luncheons, and a banquet. Supporting infor-mation from other sources is also included.

CNC is grateful to all the conference speakers wholeft us with a wean of information and ideas, and adeeper understanding of the educational crisis we faceas a nation. They are an impressive mix of School Boardmembers, District administrators, principals and teach-ers, union leaders, community and business leaders,government officials, and social scientists from variousethnic groups. All conference speakers are listed at theend of this publication.

Additional recognition is due to the following indi-viduals, organizations, and publications for their excel-lent source materials: Anna M. Sioles, Arnhilda Badia,The Wall Street Journal, ER1C's Digest 1989 series,

The Challenge of Education

Newsweek, The New York Times, The Heritage Founda-tion issue briefs, and various policy analyses conductedby the National Council of La Raza, and the HispanicPolicy Development Project. Many of the above werealso invaluable as sounding boards for the interpreta-tion of data, and for their ideas about current researchissues on education reform. Statements not attributedto a source are the sole responsibility of CNC, as arethe conclusions and recommendations that follow.

We hope this issue paper will leave our readers witha greater sense of urgency about the need for educationreform, the need to define some common guiding prin-ciples in this area, and the need to enlist the support ofthe American public at large in the enormous effort thatchange entails. We must lead with answers before theproblems inherent in low educational achievement drainour resources and devastate entire generations of ouryouth.

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Cuban American Policy Center

Summary of Issues andEducation Themes;Policy Recommendations

Early in the 21st century, Hispanics and other mi-norities will account for the majority of the workforce inmajor markets across the nation. Because the pool of ex-perienced mainstream workers is rapidly aging, the lackof preparedness of over half the potential pool of minor-ity workers will have a profound negative impact on theUS. economy. If this dire situation continues to beneglected, private industry will be forced to take someor all of the following undesirable steps:

spend millions of dollars in the basic retrainingof workers;

reformulate jobs so that the) require only lowskill attainmentand pay sub-living wages;

automate or seek skilled workers from abroad.

The first solution, expensive retraining, does not bol-ster the U.S. competitive position. The second, droppingskill and salary levels, dangerously increases the gapbetween the "haves" and "have-nots", and the third,automation or immigration, increases the price of doingbusiness while swelling the ranks of the unemployed.

To a large extent, the strategies listed above createmore problems than they solve. An educated citizenryis the solution of choice and there is consensus among

The Challenge of Education

America's leaders, both from the public and privatesectors, that our education system needs major struc-tural change.' There is recognition that Hispanics andother minorities constitute a growing majority at thenation's largest school systems. There is growing under-standing of the effectiveness of multicultural and mul-tilingual initiatives that respond to students and theirfamilies, and there is increasing support for multicultu-ral and multilingual literacy to help the United Statesperform better in highly internationalized markets.

As a consequence, initial steps have beer. takenacross the country and plans are under conskieration tomake our education systems responsive to the needs ofstudents and the needs of the nation. Although pro-posed changes in education cross customary ideologicaland partisan lines, lively and sometimes heated debatecontinues around specific programs and policies andaround implementation. One issue of major concern ishow the nation can pay for reform strategies in timeswhen new revenues are not likely to materialize.

The following list contains the major themessomeof which overlapthat run through the education re-form movement: Increasing Standards; Effective Schools;Students At-Risk of Dropping Out; Schools in the Con-text of the Community and the Economy; ImprovingTeaching Standards and the Teachers' Environment;Pre-School; Middle-School; Parent Involvement; Cul-ture and Values; Choice; Equity; Vocational Educationand the Transitior from School to Work.

It is clear that there is no single solution that willmagically reform education. School systems, c.ornmuni-ties, and student bodies differ and so, therefore, do thestrategies that respond to their needs. But there is grow-

'Alicia Coro, Director/School of hnprovement Program, U.S.Department of Education.

4

Cuban American Policy Center

ing consensus that, in the words of Leticia Quesada,Member, L.A. Unified School District, "our public schoolsystem is fundamentally archaic; it serves our majoritystudents inadequately and, all too often, it is hostile anddamaging to minority students." Moving from thatpremisesupported by statistical evidence of studentachievement some broad policy recommendationscan be drawn.

Business leaders, who have a large stake in im-proving education, must play a more powerfulrole in the national education debate.

Strong parental involvement in school based ac-tivities and in supporting education at homemust be vigorously promoted.

Accountability and national standards must beset and upheld.

The dependency of the U.S. retirement systemon the contributions of minority workers mustbe publicized to broaden public support foreducation reform.

A balance must be struck between the reformsthat require increased revenuessuch as teach-ers' salaries and building repairand those thatrequire behavioral and organizationalchangelike parent involvement and school-based management.

America will not remain a first class nation if it con-tinues to neglect its children. We must accept the chal-lenge to change and we must find the courage to actboldly.

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The Challenge of Education

The Faces of the ChallengeA web of connected factors influence how well

schools work. The education problem and the educationsolution exhibit more than one face.

Education reform is not tomorrow's issue. Improve-ments are needed today, desperately. Indeed, in thewords of New York City schools Chancellor Joe Fernan-dez, "some of us are still trying to get into the 20thcentury."

Current dropout and poverty statistics show thatour schools and our children are in deep trouble. Thedropout rate among students of Hispanic origin hoversaround 40 percent. The same proportion of Hispanicchildren in the United States are poor.' A recent conceptpaper released by the group Hispanics in Philanthropyestimates that nearly one in every five Latino births in1986 were to teenagers 18 years or younger. Half of thesebabies were born to unmarried mothers.

An equally alarming statistic is that 25 percent of theHispanic students who do graduate from high schoollack basic skills to succeed in the workplace. Otherindicators point to the underachievement of Hispanicstudents as a whole. The undereducation of Hispanicsbegins very early and is compounded by language. Bythe third grade, Hispanic children fluent in English arebelow grade level academically.3 And in California,Limited English Proficient (LEP) students were found tobe far more at risk of leaving school than fluent Englishproficient students.

2Rosa Castro Feinberg, Dade County School Board member.3Nelson Perez, Administrator, Dade County Public Schools.

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Cuban American Policy Center

In 1989 the U.S. Department of Education, Office ofBilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs(OBEMLA) served 249,000 Limited English Proficient(LEP) students.' Even using the lowest estimate of 1.7million LEP students in the United States, it is clear thatthe vast majority of LEP students are not being servedby programs funded through OBEMLA, but dependinstead on similar programs financed by state and localfunds, when such programs are available.

In addition to high dropout rates, academic under-achievement, and inadequate work skills, our educa-tional problems include insufficient representation ofHispanics and other minorities in policy making andadministrative bodies, inadequate teacher salaries, andunacceptable levels of drugs and violence in publicschools. In fact, in the nation's largest school systemsrates of drug- and violence-related incidents havereached record levels. In 1989 there were 100 gang-rela ted incidents per day in the city of Los Angeles. Andin New York, thousands of serious incidents in thepublic schools are reported yearly.

Hispanics, though severely impacted, are not theonly victims of America's educational crisis. In 1988,700,000 of the nation's 3.8 million students 18 years ofage dropped out of high school, and an equal numbercould not read their high school diplomas. In New YorkCity, half the public school system's students read be-low grade level.

*Carmen Sirnich-Dudgen, Research Director/OBEMLA.

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The Challenge of Education

Minorites The New School Majority

The America of the 1990s and beyond bears a newface, reflecting a dramatic shift in this country's demo-graphics in recent years. The future of this new Americais being shaped by many factors, including the enfran-chisment of Blacks and other minorities, and a dramaticshift in migration patterns from European to Asian andLatin American immigrants. This demographic shifthas had a profound effect on the ethnic and culturalmake up of our schools:

So-called minorities now make up the majorityof school ;Aged children in cities like New York,Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Hispanic school age children numbered fourmillion in 1989, or 10 percent of all those in thecountry.'

In New York, 80 percent of the school popula-tion is Hispanic and African-American.

In California, 51 percent of all students are ethnicminorities.

In Dade County, 44 percent of the student popu-lation is Hispanic and 33 percent Black.

In Chicago, Blacks andHispanics make up nearly80 percent of the public school population.

5ERIC 1989 Digest.

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Cuban American Policy Center

During the 1990s the large number of ethnics inpublic education will make their success an all-Ameri-can concern. Education in the 21st century cannot affordthe massive failure of students. The present and futureimpact of ethnic minorities on the economic system as awhole is profound and must be addressed.

Parental Involvement

American leaders, almost unanimously, are begin-ning to Avor increased parental involvement in educa-tional ,!s through greater participation in school-based act. Wes.

There is no simple answer to promoting greaterparental involvement. Barriers to parental involvementcome from both the schools and the parents. In manycases, schools don't understand Hispanic parents andvice-versa. Misunderstanding breeds alienation, dis-comfort, and distance between the two. Many schoolstend to have unworkable parent programs that demandthat parents conform to what the school had "alwaysbeen doing," and to what is convenient for the teachersand the school personnel. On the other hand manyHispanic parents come from cultures where school teach-ers were accorded the respect due priests, lawyers, anddoctors, and parents are not expected to participate inschool-based activities or question teachers. They werehighly respected people: you didn't question them.'

In many families, too, parental involvement in schoolactivities is affected by the high incidence of singleparent families or cases where both parents work.

6Siobhan Nicolau, President, Hispanic Policy DevelopmentProject.

14

The Challenge of Education

Overall, Latins tend to associate along kinship andfriendship lines, rather than through larger, more com-plex and impersonal institutions.7

A direct, personal approach to parental outreach isfound to be the most successful method to integratehome and school. "We need people to go out to thehomes to talk to parents, to work with parents," saysNel5on Perez of the Dade County School System. "Anumber of .kids come from families where the homesituation is part of what is creating their problems."

Progress is slow, but gains in the involvement ofparents have been reported in many areas, includingsome of the largest and most troubled districts in thecountry.' In Chicago parents showed massive involve-ment when their participation in the educational re-structuring process was made possible.

Values, Culture and Expectations

ValuesThe question of teaching values in school is very

complex since religious and cultural values vary widelybetween different groups. Furthermore, school teachersand administrators do not reflect the cultural diversityof the student population. Teachers and administratorsare, for the most part, middle and upper-middle classAnglos whose values and models of behavior may beforeign to the Hispanic student. Not only is there a needfor breaer representation of Hispanics among educa-tors, but classroom teachers and administrators mustalso be trained to recognize and respond to the culturaldiversity in schools.

lisandro Perez, Chair, Sodology/ Anthropology Dept., FloridaInternational University.8Yvonne Chan, Principal, Sylmar Elementary School.

10

1.5

Cuban American Policy Center

The subject of values in school must be directlyaddressed. According to Antonio Jorge, Professor ofPolitical Economy, "all knowledge is value laden. Thereis no such thing as abstract disembodied knowledge." Itis clear that in the absence of a clear set of values andexpectations, however, children develop their own sys-tems and codes of behavior. There is growing concensusamong experts that teaching basic functional values,such as respect for authority honesty, kindness to others,etc., should be included in the national educationaldebate.

The way in which values are expressed in schoolaffects students' mctivation and their expectations forthemselves and their educators. The teaching of valuesis often a balancing act in which educators work toimpart and reinforce basic human ethics and citizenshipwhile trying to lessen the impact of certain pervasivemessages of popular culture which tie self-esteem tomaterial possessions.' In all cases, schools must be cul-turally sensitive, recognizing the customs and valueslearned at home, church, and on the street.1° HeribertoDixon, of the New School of Social Research, believesthat "children have a culture, children have values....therole of the school is to add on to those values, not to serveas a great steamroller and flatten those children."

In addition to giving children models for behavior,cultural, religious, and ethical values provide a contextfor historical and current events, for example, the con-nection between the Civil Rights Movement and Blackchurches.'

.1,Zoberto Calderin, Executive Director, SOMOS UNO Foundation.1Nlarilyn Braveman, Director of Education, American JewishCommittee."T. Willard Fair, President, Urban League of Greater Miami.

1G

The Challenge of Education

CultureCultural sensitivity cannot be stressed enough. Dif-

fering cultural norms at home and school can make lifedifficult for teachers and bewildering for students. Whatis seen as a "behavior problem" in the classroom, suchas refusing to speak up in class, may be the expressionof a valued characteristic at homegood children arequiet children.

Unfortunately, cultural sensitivity toward Hispan-ics has been largely absent in U.S. public education.Hispanic contributions have been neglected, omitted,and distorted in U.S. history textbooks.12 This exclusioninjures the self-concept and the self-esteem of Hispanicchildren throughout our nation.

Tile teaching of values in a culturally sensitive manneris in no way an easy or simple task. "An Ethics Primer forChildren," by Anna M. Sioles, is an excellent example ofthe potential that exists in this area of education.

ExpectationsThere is a close relationship between student success

and expectations. Rosario Anaya, a San Francisco SchoolBoard member, says: 'Why Hispanics have limited suc-cess? The Mix of the problem can be summarized in oneword, expectations. Research shows that Hispanic kidswho understand English are more likely to dropoutbecause they are hearing and feeling in English that theyare not worth anything." Her point is underscored byAlejandro Portes, a professor at John Hopkins Univer-

'2Frank de Varona, Assistant Superintendent, Dade CountyPublic Schools.

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Cuban American Policy Center

sity, who queries, "What can a student learn from ateacher that expects him or her to end up in prison...?"

In a compelling tale of rising above negative expec-tations, Lourdes Monteagudo, Chicago's Deputy Mayorfor Education, shares her own childhood story: "WhenI was twelve, I was limited English proficient. I wasgiven one of those first tests that somehow brand you forthe rest of your life when I had just been in the (public)school for two and a half weeks. I was put in a sixthgrade classroom and was told that if I behaved, I didn'thave to do any work. By the end of my sixth grade, myparents were told I was retarded. By the time I was ineighth, I had become a miracle child. From being re-tarded I was gifted. Except that my record still showedI was retarded. I was given a temporary reprieve frommy retardation, and allowed to be in an honors programon probation. Four years later, I graduated Valedicto-rian of my class; on probation because no one ever takesanything out of your record..."

Cho iceChoice is one of the most complex, albeit disarming,

themes in education reform. In its simplest terms, Choiceallows parents to select the school they wish their childto attend, using vouchers for private schools or creating"magnet" schools that have a particular focus such asarts or accounting. The concept has gained momentumamong liberals and conservatives alike.

Both President Bush and U.S. Secretary of EducationLauro Cavazos support the furthering of parental in-volvement, and the promotion of choice in education.But in spite of a raised national consciousness aboutthese two issues, there may be serious differences re-

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The Challenge of Education

garding how to proceed.In coming years the debate around school choice

may be not so much the concept but rather the methodsof implementing changes, such as tuition tax credits,vouchers, broader geographic and functional tax bases,salary incentives, targeted federal assistance, shareddecision making, and school-based management.

These and other alternatives will require innovativetypes of personal and institutional relations, differentuses of tax resources, community education, realloca-tion of federal funds, new financial and managerialformulas and control systems, and more flexible ar-rangements concerning the use of public funds by pri-vate insti tutions.

Beyond the risks and controversy involved, ourability to achieve some of these changes will show ourreadiness as a nation to empower teachers, parents, andprincipals to lead our students into the futvre.13

Employment Impact

Improving educational attainment is perhaps themost critical factor in enhancing U.S. economic competi-tiveness in the future.14 In addition to the immediate andunacceptable human cost of school failure by Hispanicsand other minorities, poorly educated workers willhave a negative impact on private industry operations.

A shockingly high proportion of people entering theworkplace lack the basic skills business requires. Forexample, in 1988, 84 percent of tha 23,000 people whotook an exam for an entry level job at the New York

'31ModestoMaidique, President, Florida International University.14Tony Villarnil, Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Commerce.

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Cuban American Policy Center

Telephone Company failed. The functionally illiterateaccount for 30 percert of America's unskilled labor, 29percent of our semi-skilled labor, and 1i percent of ourmanagerial, professional, and technical employees.

By the year 2010, 85 percent of new jobs will befilled by minorities, recent immigrants, and womenthe very groups who are most severely affected by theeducational deficiencies cited above. The gap betweenthe education level of the U.S. workforce and the educa-tional requirements of jobs in our fastest growing sec-tors is wide and growing. This alarming trend must bereversed. An increasenot a decreasein worker'sproductivity will be necessary if the United States is tocompete in the growing and highly sophisticated globalmarkets.

The shrinking labor pool has stripped corporationsof their ability to choose workers.15 The education of allof America's workers in the 21st century is critical.

Business, government, and community agency rep-resentatives express shared concerns regarding theimpact of undereducation in the workplace and theneed to tackle this issue comprehensively:6 CorporateAmerica is showing unprecedented concern over theneed to develop a skilled workforce, and currentlyspends $300 million a year on training employees inbasic skills.

M. Anthony Burns, Chairman, President and ChiefExecutive Officer of Ryder System, a six-billion dollarcorporation, sums up the reasons to provide all peoplewith an adequate education: "The companies and insti-tutions that are a good place for all people, that are

15Naney Dreicer, AT&T executive from Jackson Ile, Florida.'6Harriet Spivack, Private Industry Council.

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The Challenge of Education

comfortable with change, and comfortable with diver-sity, will be the real winners of the 1990s...Countrieshave become more competitive by being more produc-tive and more efficient through a better educatedworkforce. A better trained workforce and a workforcethat addresses human needs for those that maybe aren'tquite as lucky, maybe those that aren't quite as fortunateas many of us, is the key to real success."

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Cuban American Policy Center

THE SCOPE OF CHANGEWhile there are many areas of consensus, educa-

tional reform will not occur without some disagreementand discussion. Areas that require further research in-clude the following:

Setting goals: There is a need to establish time-tables, cost projections, and goals for education.The business community must join educators inthis task.'7

Curriculum: Many feel there are serious defi-ciendes in text books regarding sensitive issuessuch as sex, cultural values, and religion. Thereis already much public debate on curriculumand teaching methods. The debate must includeviews from outside the traditional educationalcircles."

Funding: There must be greater coordination ofresources and integration of funding and pro-grams at all levels in government-, the privatesector, and education communities.19

Bilingual education: It is ironic that recom-mendations from economists and businessleaders for greater cultural and language literacyin America coincide with a period of "EnglishOnly" anti-immigrant sentiment in the UnitedStates. Changes in educational policy towardgreater multicultural consciousness will faceserious challenges unless our national debate en-joys the active and enthusiastic support of ourbusiness community.

17David Reddick, Sun Bank Executive and Representative ofGreater Miami Chamber of Commerce.Charlotte Greenberg, Dade County P.T.A.

"Hector Velazquez, President, National Puerto Rican Forum.

22 17

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Cuban American Policy Center

National standards in education: Controversyover this issue continues with some espousingthe need to set national standards for academicperformance and to hold students, teachers, andprincipals accountable to meet them, whileothers recommend proceeding cautiously withthe idea of national standards.

Accountability: Accountability refers to educa-tional outcomes and performance standards aswell as to the types of authority and responsibil-ity held by decision makers. While many agreeon accountablity as a tenet of educational re-form, debate continues around specific opera-tional models.

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The Challenge of Education

ConclusionEducation remains at the top of America's national

agenda. In just five years, education has become aleading issue for business leaders, appointed and electedofficials, and the public.

At present, the debate seems to focus more on effect-ing structural changes than in seeking new major out-lays of money or significant changes in educational fi-nancing mechanisms. Financial restrictions such as man-dated budget deficit reduction guidelines, competingsocial problems such as AIDS and drugs, the Saving &Loans crisis, and momentous international develop-ments, suggest that a major shift in attention and re-sources toward a sustained effort on behalf of educationreform will not occur in the immediate future.

A growing number of educators and parents alike,business leaders, and public officials of various persua-sions seem to agree that educational improvements willdepend on our ability to innovate and change existinginstitutional arrangements.

We are presented with a unique opportunity tomake significant improvements in our troubled educa-tion systems We must show our ability to compromiseon resource utilization issues and our willingness to beflexible to try new alternativesor to return to thebasicsas the case may be.

In any event, major participants in the debate agreeon one thing: we cannot wait for more resources; wemust act now and we cannot afford to fail.

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Cuban American Policy Center

APPENDIX 1

SPEAKERS AT CNC NATIONAL CONFERENCEMiami, Florida

January 24-26, 1990

IATorkshop I"Education Goals and Expectations for the 21st Century"

Chair: Antonio Jorge, Professor of Political EconomyFlorida International UniversitySenior Research Scholar, University of Miami

Panelists: Rosario Anaya, CommissionerSan Francisco Board of Education

Alicia Coro, Director/School of Improvement ProgramsU.S. Department of Education

Lourdes Monteagudo, Deputy MayorChicago Department of Education

Rosa Castro Feinberg. MemberDade County School Board

Paul Cejas, PresidentGolden Glades Regional Medical Center

Murray Sisselman, PresidentUnited Teachers of Dade

Corporate Luncheon

Keynote Speaker: Jose Antonio Villamil, Chief EconomistU.S. Department of Commerce

Workshop II"Hispanics, Minorities and Immigrants in Public Schools"

Chain Javier Bray, Coordinator/Education ProgramsCuban American National Council

Panelists: Alejandro Portes, ProfessorJohn Hopkins University

Leticia Quezada, Manager/Public RelationsCarnationMember, L.A. Unified School District

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The Challenge of Education

Siobhan Oppenheimer Nicolau, PresidentHispanic Policy Development Project

Heriberto Dixon, Associate ProfessorNew School for Social Research

Jay E. Laroche, Chief, Immigration & Refuge AffairsU.S. Department of Justice/CRS

Carmen Simich-Dudgeon, DirectorDivision for Research & EvaluationOffice of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages(OBEMLA)

Workshop III"Schools and the Wkplace: Public/Private Partnerships"

Chain Anne Betancourt, MemberCNC Board of Directors

Special Presentation: Sarabeth RodriguezNational Services SpecialistU.S. Bureau of the Census

Panelists: Lisandro Perez, ChairSociology/Anthropology DepartmentFlorida International University

Harriett Spivack, Assistant to the DirectorPrivate Industry Council

Nancy Dreicer, Vice PresidentFinancial ServicesAT & T

Nelson Perez, DirectorDepartment of Career EducationDade County Public Schools

David Reddick, Assistant Vice President/Manager, PublicRelationsSun Bank, N.A.

Hector Velazquez, PresidentNational Puerto Rican Forum

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Cuban American Policy Center

Corporate Lunchonn

Keynote Speaker: M. Anthony Burns,Chairman, President and CEORyder System, Inc.

Workshop IV"Values and Curricula in the Classroom"

Chain Celia Suarez, Associate DeanMiami-Dade Community College

Panelists: Charlotte Greenberg, PresidentDade County Council, PTA, PTSA

Yvonne Chan, PrincipalSylmar Elementary School

Marilyn Braveman, Director of EducationAmerican Jewish Committee

Frank de Varona, Associate SuperintendentDade County Public Schools

T. Willard Fair, President & CEOUrban League of Greater Miami

Roberto Calderin, Executive DirectorSOMOS UNO Foundation

Antonio Jorge, Professor of Po lit cal EconomyFlorida International UniversitySenior Research Scholar, University of Miami

Closing Banquet

Keynote Speaken Modesto Maidique, PresidentFlorida International University

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The Challenge of Education

APPENDIX 2

REFERENCES

Backgrounder, The Heritage Foundation. Number 760, March 21,1990 "A Primer on Choice in Education: Part 1 HowChoice Works."

Business/Education Insider, The Heritage Foundation. Number 4,June 1990 "How Business Can Reform Education."

Chubb, John E., "A Blueprint for Public Education," The WallStreet Journal, June 6, 1990.

Cuban American National Council Conference Proceedings,1990, "Education: America's National Challenge," Miami,Florida, January 24, 1990 (unpublished transcripts).

Digest, ERIL. Clearinghouse on Urban Education:Number 55, 1989 Urban School Finance: The Quest forEqual Educational Opportunity.Number 56, 1989 Middle School Education: The CriticalLink in Dropout Prevention.Number 57, 1989 Restructuring American Schools: ThePromise and the Pitfalls.Number 58, 1989 Teenage Pregnancy and Drug Abuse:Sources of Problem Behaviors.Number 59, 1989 Hispanic Education in America:Separate and Unequal.Number 60, 1989 Making Schools More Responsive toAt-risk Students.

Executive Memorandum, The Heritage Foundation. Number 272,July 1990 "Spending Versus Choice in the House Educa-tion Debate."

Hispanic Policy Development Project, "Together is Better," April1990.

Ibid. "Queridos Padres, La Escuela es Nuestra Tambien," April1990.

2 23

Cuban American Policy Center

Honig, Bill, "School Vouchers: Dangerous Claptrap," The NewYork Times, June 29, 1990.

National Council of La Rau, "Testimony on the Adult LiteracyEmployability Act of 1989," November 1989.

Newsweek, "Not Just for Nerds," April 9, 1990, Society.

Sioles, Anna M., "An Ethics Primer for Children," U.S.A. , 1987.

The Wall Street Journal, 'Teachers vs. Kids," Review and Outlook,June 6, 1990.

24 29

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