Celebrating our Hispanic Students, Teachers, and Families

“Being comfortable with our own roots and exploring our own culture is the first step to learning, understanding, and accepting others,” said Ms. Esparza. “Because Hispanic Heritage Month is virtual this year, I’m able to share these ideas with the entire school rather than just focusing on a few grades.” 

The past year has been defined by Hispanic students making incredible strides in the classroom and beyond. Just a few weeks ago, the district announced that its highest-ever graduation rate was driven by their improvements. Additionally, new research showed that a majority of CPS English learners were developing English proficiency by eighth grade and meeting or exceeding the academic progress of their peers. 

These successes are a testament to the hard work of Hispanic communities all across the city. To build on this growth, the district continues to invest in dual language programming, a bilingual educator pipeline, and amplifying parent voices through its Multilingual Parent Committee and Bilingual Advisory Council. 

Throughout the month, the district will be sharing the ways our schools are creatively celebrating the culture and accomplishments of our Hispanic students on our social media channels and right here on our blog. 

Even though this month is taking place during an extremely challenging time, it reminds us that our Hispanic students are incredible, and, with the right support, the next Mariano Azuela, Ruben Salazar, or Felicitas Mendez might just be a CPS student. 

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!