Latino Education Summit Focuses on Maximizing Opportunities for Latinx Students

White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics Senior Advisor Emmanuel Caudillo headlined the Inaugural Prince George's County Latino Education Summit, an event focused on maximizing the educational experience and advancing educational equity for Latinx students.

Hosted by the PGCPS Office of Diversity Equity and Belonging, District 8 Board of Education Member Madeline LaSalle-Frazier and the Prince George's County Office of Latino Affairs, the summit keynote was delivered by Melody Gonzales, Executive Director of the White House Hispanic Initiative. Maryland Delegate Deni L. Taveras also offered a snapshot of the County’s demographics and call-to-action.

As PGCPS’ Latino student population nears 40%, the district is focused on strategies to recruit Latino educators and staff to support diverse learners — including creating pathways for increased Latino leadership within schools and operations.

“This is an exciting and critical time for PGCPS as we look toward developing solutions and collaborating to empower Latino students and families to advocate for educational rights and opportunities,” said LaSalle-Frazier, PGCPS District 8 Board Member. “Today offered an important platform to tackle issues including language barriers, cultural differences, resources and inequalities, along with the growth we have experienced in our district.”

PGCPS Superintendent Millard House II, who formerly led the Houston Independent School District with a 66% Latino student population, said the summit represented a milestone in PGCPS’ commitment to equity and excellence in education.

“We are a school system whose students hail from 147 different countries, and more than 40% of PGCPS students are immigrants or the children of immigrants,” House said. “It is imperative that we get ahead of the curve to ensure we are equipping all of our students and families to thrive in an inclusive and diverse educational environment.”