Voces de Casa Maria

The solution to climate change has much to do with people changing to alternate modes of transportation – THE BUS!

Please attend the free screening of This Changes Everything and wear your yellow Bus Riders Union t-shirt.

Hey Catholics,

The Holy Father told Americans to pay attention not only to the life of Dorothy Day, but also to the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.!

Study and reflect on his life – let it inspire and afflict you.

And may it lead you to ask yourself “Am I doing enough for the struggle?”

Lately I’ve been reflecting on this past year and how absolutely awful the bus strike was for bus riders. And how to learn from that and act so that such suffering is never again put on mostly poor people, in this case bus riders.

How might have MLK have dealt with this? He was very pro-labor. In fact, he was killed while in Memphis standing up for striking sanitation workers.

The answer is, of course, we need to ORGANIZE.

But how? Whats’ it look and feel like? Who to tap and challenge to make the Bus Riders Union and the longer struggle more broad, more creative, more powerful and less accommodating to spineless, comfortable liberal politicians?

The Bus Riders Union has done some good and effective organizing.

But right now in Tucson, in January 2016, much more is needed. Dark times are very much on the horizon.

The City Manager is taking steps to radically diminish the work force of the City. Drastic cuts in services seem imminent. The Mayor and Councilwoman Uhlich are saying that the bus should be given over to the RTA, even though 92% of the riders live in the City of Tucson and the City has only one vote out of ten on the RTA Board.

Anyone with ideas or the desire to jump in with both feet, please call or visit Casa Maria and/or write something for this blog.

Peace and love,

Brian

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Día de Martin Luther King – Enero 18, 2016

Oye Catolico,

El Santo Padre les dijo a los Americanos que pusieran atención, no solo a la vida de Dorothy Day, sino también a la vida del revolucionario Martin Luther King Jr.!

Estudiar y refleccionar en su vida – dejar que te inspire, y toque tu corazón. Y así te preguntaras “¿estoy haciendo lo suficiente en la lucha?”

Últimamente he estado refleccionando en este ultimo año y que horrible fue la huelga de camiones para los que usan el camión diariamente, y como aprender de esa experiencia para que ese sufrimiento no vuelva a afectar a los mas necesitados en este caso a los que usan el camión a diario.

¿Cómo resolvería esto Martin Luther King? El estaba a favor del trabajo.

De hecho el fue asesinado en Memphis durante la huelga de los trabajadores de recolección de basura.

La respuesta es, por supuesto, NECESITAMOS ORGANIZARNOS.

¿Pero como? ¿Qué es?

A quien acudir para hacer la unión de camiones y la lucha mas grande, mas creativa, mas poderosa y menos cómoda y fácil para los políticos liberales?

La unión de camiones ha hecho una organización muy efectiva.

Pero en este momento en Tucson, en Enero, 2016, se necesita mucho mas. Se vienen tiempos difíciles.

El gerente de la ciudad esta tomando las medidas necesarias para disminuir el trabajo en la ciudad. Recortes drásticos en los servicios es inminente.

La alcalde Uhlich dice que los camiones deberían dárselos a RTA, aun cuando el 92% de los pasajeros viven la ciudad de Tucson y la ciudad tiene 1 de 10 votos en la RTA.

Alguien con idea o el deseo de ayudar, por favor llame o visite Casa Maria y/o escribe en el blog.

Paz y amor,

Brian

Brittany Jones, starter on the UA Women’s Basketball team, visited and worked in the Kitchen at Casa Maria this week!

She was here the day after the Wildcats destroyed #21 ranked CAL. The Lady Wildcats are 10-3 so far this year.

She is a junior from Dallas, Texas.

She was gracious, articulate, and very patient answering all our questions and posing for pictures. We are all going to go see her play this year!

Sonia McReynolds, a life-long Tucsonan from the Westside, and her husband Herb McReynolds, chief of staff at the Emergency Room at St. Marys Hospital, share here about their recent trip to Cuba.

Sonia organizes a monthly lunch brigade to Casa Maria from her parish, Most Holy Trinity. Thanks to Sonia and Most Holy Trinity!

by Sonia McReynolds

Our trip to Cuba was everything we expected and much more. My husband and I went to Cuba solely as a humanitarian, educational, and cultural trip and not for political reasons. We visited Cuba with a tour company, which was the only method of travel to Cuba via the United States.

The cities we toured were Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara, and Havana. All of the people were friendly and welcoming, especially the elderly and children. We were able to visit some of the schools where children displayed their musical talents with pride. All of the children in Cuba receive free education from elementary school through college. Cuba’s goal is to eliminate illiteracy through government funded programs. Not only does Cuba provide free education, they also offer free health care for all individuals. Government health programs provide free health coverage for hospital services, physician office visits, medication, etc.

Once per month, every Cuban receives five pounds of rice, five pounds of sugar, and two pounds of beans, free of charge. Should families require more than this ration, they must pay for additional staples at the rationing store.

We were invited to visit Casa Asilo, an adult care home operated by “Las Hermanitas”, Catholic nuns. Casa Asilo was founded in 1886. This nursing home currently has approximately 400 residents. Onsite physical therapy is available as well as physician and nursing care. Some of the residents perform in plays, sing, and dance in their beautiful theater where they entertain other residents. They even have annual Olympics where the residents compete in various sporting competitions. The residents we spoke with seemed very content, comfortable, clean, and happy. This nursing home depends on donations from the public and organizations to offset the expenses that resident pension plans cannot meet.

Our trip included; visits to historical sites, botanical gardens, art galleries, cathedrals, military canon ceremony, symphony performance, strolls through the cobblestone streets, rich architecture, Afro Cuban jazz, Salsa, chef-led cooking class, rides in vintage cars, delicious food, and friendly Cubans, etc. We also had a fascinating political discussion with an ex-Cuban-USA diplomat. It’s amazing how much we experienced and learned about Cuban culture and how the people live as we enter a new era of USA-Cuban relations. My husband and I are already looking forward to our next visit to Cuba.

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traducido por Alicia Nunez

Sonia McReynolds, Tucsonense del lado Oeste de la ciudad y su esposo Herb McReynolds, jefe de personal en el cuarto de Emergencias en el hospital Santa María, compartieron con nosotros su viaje a Cuba.

Sonia organiza los almuerzos que traen a Casa María cada mes de su Iglesia Most Holyn Trinity.

Gracias a Sonia y a la Iglesia Most Holy Trinity.

Nuestro viaje a Cuba supero nuestras expectativas. Mi esposo y yo fuimos a Cuba como un viaje humanitario, educacional y cultural no por razones políticas. Visitamos Cuba con una compañía de excursión, que era la mejor forma de viajar a Cuba de los Estados Unidos.

Las ciudades que visitamos fueron Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara y La Habana. La gente era amable y nos daba la bienvenida, especialmente los ancianos y niños. Pudimos visitar algunas escuelas donde los niños mostraban su talento musical con orgullo. Todos los niños en Cuba reciben educación gratis desde la primaria hasta la preparatoria. La meta de Cuba es eliminar el analfabetismo a través de los programas que el gobierno provee. Cuba no solo provee educación gratis, sino que también tiene seguro de salud para todas las personas. El seguro de Salud tiene cobertura gratis en los hospitales, visitas al doctor, medicamentos, etc.

Una vez al mes, las personas reciben 5 libras de arroz, 5 de azúcar y 2 de frijoles sin costo alguno. Si las familias necesitan más comida necesitan pagar un precio por ella.

Fuimos invitados a visitar Casa Asilo para ancianos administrado por “Las Hermanitas” monjas Católicas. Casa Asilo fue fundada 1886. Este asilo tiene aproximadamente 400 residentes. Hay doctor, enfermeras y también tienen terapia física disponible. Algunos de los residentes tocan instrumentos, cantan y bailan para entretener a los demás residentes. Incluso ellos tienen competencias cada año donde los residentes compiten en varios deportes.

Los residentes con los que hablamos se veían felices, cómodos y limpios. Este asilo se mantiene de donaciones de la gente y organizaciones para mantener los gastos ya que las pensiones no alcanzan.

El viaje incluía; visitas a lugares históricos, galerías de arte, catedrales, ceremonia militar, teatro, paseos a las calles principales, arquitectura, jazz afro-cubano, salsa, restaurantes principales, etc. También tuvimos una plática muy interesante con un ex-diplomático cubano-americano. Es fascinante lo que vivimos y aprendimos acerca de la cultura cubana y como la gente vive, mientras entramos a la nueva era de relaciones de Cuba y Estados Unidos. Mi esposo y yo estamos preparándonos para nuestra siguiente visita a Cuba.

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by Brian Flagg and Cesar Aguirre

Thanks to Lupita Parra, Alexis Olalde and Barbara Truman from Santa Catalina Parish in Oro Valley for fixing the Jesus Mural.

Some fool had defaced the big face of Jesus with the Crown of Thorns that greats those who enter Casa Maria.

This mural was done with spray paint in 2004 by Fr. Robert Barcelo OCDS when he was still a brother and doing time at Santa Cruz parish that summer.

This work of art really seems to fit this place and the ministry here. Art and culture really is the way to touch the mind, heart and soul of the people and it feels good to have him looking so good again!

Lupita is the sister of our good friend and long time South Side activist Lorena Parra aka Lorena Howard.

GRACIAS A LUPITA PARRA, ALEXIS OLALDE  Y BARBARA TRUMAN DE LA IGLESIA SANTA CATALINA EN ORO VALLEY POR REPARAR EL ROSTRO DE JESUS.

Algún vago arruino la cara de Jesús y la corona de espinas que está a la entrada de Casa María. Esta imagen fue hecha con pintura de spray en 2004 por Fr. Robert Barceló OCD cuando él todavía era hermano y estaba pasando tiempo ese verano en Santa Cruz.

Este trabajo de arte queda muy bien en este lugar. Arte y cultura realmente es una manera de tocar el corazón y el alma de las personas y se siente bien ver que Él se mira muy bien otra vez!

Lupita es hermana de una muy buena amiga y gran activista del Sur de Tucson Lorena Parra aka Lorena Howard.

by Teresa Ornelas, Chair of the Counseling Department at Pueblo High School for the last 10 years

I want to begin by saying it’s been an honor to serve the Casa Maria staff and community for almost 30 years. It all began quite simply. I was a sophomore at Salpointe Catholic High School and my social responsibilities teacher said we had to take part in a community service project. Not knowing what to do, I asked my dad, Dr. Richard L. Ornelas for ideas and without hesitation, he said “Casa Maria Soup Kitchen!” I was 14-years-old, but Brian Flagg put me to work right away and showed me the ins and outs of every service section.

After serving sometime and seeing firsthand the passion in which Brian and his assistants genuinely served our poor brothers and sisters from the Southside, Casa Maria was at risk of being shut down in 1987. Just imagining what it would be like for our Casa Maria community to go without food horrified me. Just to give you an idea, then and now, Casa Maria serves 500-600 bag lunches and 200 family food bags!! I couldn’t stand to do nothing, so I addressed the politicians and homeowner members at a poignant meeting and told them what I saw, the need there was, what I felt, the responsibility they had to take care of each other in our community, and just work together instead of thinking of shutting the most needy out.

Today is Christmas Eve and it has been years now that my family members, son, nieces, and nephews serve at Casa Maria. My parents, siblings, in-laws, and I believe it’s important to serve our poor brother and sisters on a day when people expect to receive. We believe it’s important to serve and give lovingly that to receive. Merry Christmas!!!

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traducido por Alicia Nunez

Quiero empezar diciendo que ha sido un honor servir al personal de Casa Maria y a la comunidad por casi 30 años.

Todo empezó cuando estaba en la secundaria Católica Salpointe y la maestra de mi clase social dijo que tenia que hacer servicio comunitario. Le pregunte a mi papa, Dr. Richard L. Ornelas, y él sin pensarlo dijo “Casa Maria.” Yo tenia 14 años pero Brian Flagg me puso a trabajar luego enseñadme los diferentes trabajos en la cocina.

Después de ayudar un tiempo y ver como Brian y sus asistentes ayudan a los pobres del sur de Tucson, Casa Maria estaba en riesgo de ser cerrada en 1987. Solo de imaginar que nuestra comunidad no tendría comida me horrorizada. Casa Maria sirve 500-600 lunches y 200 bolsas de comida para familia!! No me podía quedar sin hacer nada y hable con políticos y dueños de casas lo que había visto, la necesidad de las personas, lo que yo había sentido, la responsabilidad que ellos tenían de ayudar a Casa Maria a la comunidad en lugar de cerrarla.

Hoy es 24 de diciembre, y han sido años que mi familia, a hijos, sobrinos vienen a ayudar a Casa Maria. Mis padres, hermanos y hermanas, pensamos que es importante ayudar a nuestros hermanos en un día cuando ellos esperan recibir algo. Pensamos que es importante ayudar a nuestras generaciones que es mas importante dar que recibir. ¡Feliz Navidad!

By Brian Flagg

It kinda feels like our Bishop Gerald Kicanas has been hanging out with the Holy Father! He sounded just like the Pope when he wrote in this month’s Catholic Vision:

“Advent awakens in people a sense of urgency to become involved in addressing the challenges and issues of our day that rob people of their dignity and that make the world unlike the world God intended for people. Advent invites us to address the widening gap between the world as it is and the world Chirst came to bring about. Advent calls us to open our eyes to the suffering still so prevalent in people’s lives. In our community, many among us lack food, a decent place to live and an opportunity to work that gives them a sense of dignity.”

From where I sit, especially at this time of the year, I see many people obsessed about doing charity. They want to feed the homeless etc. But charity by itself does not lead to people having dignity. In fact charity often tends to be condescending and is more for the alleviation of people’s guilt or self-pride than it is about actually being part of a process (the Kingdom) that could bestow dignity on people who are poor or exploited or low-income or unemployed or underemployed.

Our Bishop and our Pope have the right idea. But the trick is to take the idea and have it manifest into reality. The quality of peoples lives are at stake.

That is why we all need to become economists and not just in thought or word but in struggle too!

This means not settling for anything less than a full employment economy, with an income for those whom for whatever reason cannot work.

This is getting down to what dignity really means in the real world. More than anything else its about access to meaningful employment.

To make this actually happen would involve being prophetic and specific with rich people and their bought and paid for politicians, chambers of commerce, media whores, etc. who shrug their shoulders and tell us that there is no money.

There is money! This is the wealthiest, most powerful country in the history of the world.

There really is money to fully fund public education, first class mass transit and single payer healthcare. This kind of economy would create jobs that provide dignity to human beings.

It comes down to priorities. Catholic Social Teaching prioritizes the common good. A society moving toward the common good would mean that rich people would have to pay more taxes, war profiteers would become less rich off of wars, and downtown developers might have to forego tax giveaways also known as “incentives.”

To further the process of turning dignity into reality, we Catholics and Christians need to learn to be prophetic (kinda like Pope Francis, but more specific). We need to learn to be fearless and joyful, like the mama of Jesus when she sang the Magnificat (today’s gospel reading):

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call

me blessed

for the Mighty One has done great things for me –

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm,

he has routed the proud of heart.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.”

Luke 1 (46-53)

Merry Christmas to all.

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Nuestro obispo lo dice! Este tiempo de adviento es acerca de dignidad.

Traducido por Alicia Nunez

Parece que nuestro obispo Gerald Kicanas a pasado tiempo con el Santo Padre!

El se escucha como el papa cuando escribió en el Catholic Vision este mes:

“El adviento nos despierta a la urgencia de ser participes en la búsqueda de soluciones a los retos y dificultades que hoy en día despojan a la gente de su dignidad , y eso hace que el mundo sea diferente al mundo que Dios concibió para nosotros. El Adviento nos invita a abrir los ojos al sufrimiento que prevalece en la vida de tanta gente. Muchas personas de nuestro medio carecen de alimentos, de un sitio decente donde vivir, y de una oportunidad de conseguir un trabajo que les de la dignidad que merecen.”

Me doy cuente que en esta época del ano mucha gente se obsesiona con hacer actos de caridad, pero la caridad no lleva a la dignidad. Ayuda a aliviar la conciencia de las personas mas que ayudar en el proceso de restaurar la dignidad de los que son pobres, explotados, o desempleados.

El papa y el obispo tienen la idea correcta.

Lo ideal seria que esa idea se convirtiera en realidad. La calidad de vida.

Debemos luchar por un mundo mejor; mejores empleos y asistencia para los que no pueden trabajar.

Para eso, necesitamos ser específicos cuando hablamos con los ricos. Para que no se encojan de hombros y nos digan que no hay dinero.

Hay dinero! Esta país es el mas rico, y poderoso del mundo.

Hay dinero para ayudar a las escuelas, camiones y seguranzas de salud. Ayudaría mucho si lo usaran apropiadamente para crear trabajos que ayuda a la dignidad de las personas.

Es la prioridad, la enseñanza social católica de prioridad al bien común, y eso seria que los ricos pagaran mas en taxis, eso los haría menos ricos, y no querrías mas guerras o remodelar el centro.

Para continuar el proceso de la dignidad en realidad. Los católicos y cristianos necesitamos ser profetas, tener menos miedo y mas alegres. Como la madre de Jesus, cuando canta el magnificat:

“Proclama mi Alma la grandeza del Señor

Se alegra mi espíritu en Dios mi Salvador,

Porque a mirado la humillación de su esclava

Desde ahora me felicitaran todas las generaciones,

Porque el poderoso ha hecho obras grandes por mi

Su nombre es santo y su misericordia llega a sus fieles

de generación en generación

El hace proezas con su brazo:

dispersa a los soberbios de corazón,

derriba del trono a los poderosos

y enaltece a los humildes a los hambrientos los colma de bienes

y la los ricos los despide vacíos

Auxilia a Israel, su siervo;

acordándose de su misericordia

como lo había prometido a nuestros padres

en favor de Abraham y su descendencia por siempre.”

Lucas 1; 46-55

by Cesar (CeAZe) Aguirre

Hip Hop is a passion of mine… I love all music, but Hip Hop is something I have a real deep connection with. I can feel it pumpin’ in my heart and runnin’ through my veins.

I grew up listening to what is labeled as ‘gangsta rap’. Today’s mainstream Hip Hop (or Hip Pop as I like to call it) is heavily influenced by gangsta culture. Many rappers now put up a front, try to project a persona that may not really be who they are because that is the only way to make it big. Major labels are looking for rappers that fit a certain mold, or that can be molded into what sells.

Because of this Hip Hop has been seen in a negative light. Most people don’t understand the history of the music and its evolution. It comes from struggle, poverty, and oppression, straight out of the ghettos of America. That is why it has spread like wild fire across the globe. In every corner of the world there is oppression, poverty and suffering, and we relate to Hip Hop, real Hip Hop.

Hip Hop came out of New York during a time that gangs in poor Black and Brown neighborhoods were uniting (Rubble Kings Documentary available on Netflix). They would steal electricity from the street lights and set up their turntables and mixers and have block parties. DJ’s would mix, cut and scratch old records, looping the breaks (parts of the songs where the beats would break down and there are no vocals) by going back and forth between 2 records and breakers would break to the music (“breakdancing”).

Rap didn’t come along till a little later. You see rap is Hip Hop but Hip Hop is not rap. One is a verb and the other is a noun. Hip Hop is. It is the entire culture. It’s the music, the dance, the fashion, the graffiti, DJ’s, MC’s, rappers. Rap is something you do and only a part of Hip Hop, but a big part. MC’s (master of ceremony) would speak to the audience about things that were relevant to them at the time to keep the party going, rhyming was brought into it and it evolved into rap.

As Hip Hop began to become more and more popular throughout the 80’s, there was a huge connection to poor urban communities. Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five were speaking directly to those communities as early as 1982 with “The Message” by pointing out the everyday struggle and insanity of living in the ghetto. In 1988 N.W.A. dropped “Straight Outta Compton” which spoke to the conditions in their community and the reality they were living, the drugs, gang violence, police brutality, racial profiling and abuse of power that was happening in LA. Many people who couldn’t understand didn’t see it this way. They saw it as glorifying things that are bad or evil. Those with brains, money and power saw it as something to be feared, exploited and destroyed (What Ever Happened to Hip Hop Documentary).

In the late 80’s through the early 90’s there was a huge shift in the consciousness of rap to Afro-centricity. Artists and groups like Public Enemy, X Clan, Queen Latifah, Poor Righteous Teachers, and The Coup were gaining more and more popularity among urban youth. They were speaking about oppression, sexism, racism, poverty, systemic violence, education and the lack of, while educating and inspiring the people.

Meanwhile, the mainstream music industry was trying to push Hip Hop back into the party and dance scene, but what they found was more appealing was the drugs, sex and violence contained in ‘gangsta rap’.

In the mid 90’s there began a shift of mainstream Hip Hop to a less conscious mindset, all about making money and doing what you gotta do to get on top by selling drugs, using violence or whatever it takes. Making it out of the ghetto through Hip Hop became about getting rich and famous and no longer about liberation. This brand of gangsta rap is what I group up listening to, but I also listened to a lot of underground artists that helped influence my way of thinking.

Rap is rap and labels really bother me because I believe that depending on who the artist is that is creating it, it will reflect the feelings, thoughts, beliefs, values and ideas of the artist. A real gangsta doesn’t have to boast or brag about how hard or gangsta he/she is because it will be reflected in the music they create. It is part of who they are. Same for a conscious rapper or Christian rapper. They don’t work to put that persona into their music, it’s present because that’s who they are.

In other words I’m not a “conscious rapper”, I’m a rapper who happens to be conscious so my music will reflect that.

There are so many artists creating Hip Hop now, all over the world in hundreds of languages (Hip Hop: The Furious Force of Rhymes Documentary available on Netflix). This is because of the connection we have through struggle.

My cousin Young Natt asked me to collaborate on a song with him and Joe Grizzly called Devil Muzik. When he first asked me, I was a little reluctant to do it based on the title of the song. After listening to it I realized that the song was about exactly that.

The first 2 lines in the chorus are “If this is devil muzik are we living in hell, and if we rebel to it will you throw us in jail?” and speaks directly to the conditions we live in
and how we are perceived by those in power when we resist and try to
create change within ourselves or our communities.

If you have never understood the culture of Hip Hop or you see it in a negative light, hopefully after reading this, watching the documentaries and listen to the song Devil Muzik by God Brothaz feat. CeAZe your perception might change. Remember, only through truly understanding others’ struggles can we have peace, unity and liberation!

VIVA HIP HOP!

by Brian Flagg and Cesar Aguirre

Congratulations to Santa Cruz and St. Johns schools for being “recognized as part of the White House’s Bright Spots in Hispanic Education initiative.

“The schools are part of the Notre Dame ACE Academies, which work to increase access to educational excellence for Latino students.” They are 2 of the “more than 230 Bright Spots nationwide.” (Page A5 Daily Star 12/15/2015)

This is great but in our barrio, Barrio Libre, which encompasses more or less the City of South Tucson, very few, if any local students attend Santa Cruz, even though Barrio Libre is 100% within the parish boundary.

Our children attend Ochoa Elementary, Safford Middle School, and Pueblo High School, for the most part.

The parents and students of these schools deserve recognition because this past year they mobilized to defend their magnet programs, which brings additional funding and opportunities to these schools which serve Latino families struggling to rise out of poverty.

The Daily Star has tried to spin this claiming parents were being misled through misinformation or a ‘Big Lie” as Tim Steller claims in his opinion piece where he fails to point out any lies or misinformation the parents have. Many of us have read the court orders, the Comprehensive Magnet Plan (CMP) and the Unitary Status Plan (USP) and understand it fully and agree with Dr. Sanchez, who inherited these plans 2 years ago, that the CMP aims to hurt the same students this desegregation case was meant to help.

I guess since we don’t have titles or diplomas that say we matter like leaders of the parent group in Vail (read about it here) we are seen as misinformed or unable to comprehend. Maybe we’re not the right color and class? Or maybe we need to broaden our base and join together with the parents from Vail, since we all want what’s best for our kids.

This was not a movement that started overnight when TUSD announced the CMP two summers ago. In fact the Ochoa Community has had to fight for its existence, and hasn’t been able to rest since the first round of school closures in 2009. We were caught off guard in 2012 when then TUSD superintendent John Pedicone closed 11 neighborhood schools, targeting Ochoa again.  We then vowed to continue to organize in order to stay proactive.

The practical outcome of this injustice can be seen in the front page article in today’s Daily Star on Secrist Middle School. The article is about how out of control student behavior has become. But it also states that the new principal “inherited a school that went from serving 377 students to a population of 637 during the 2013-14 school year due to the closure of Carson Middle School.

“Today, of the more than 500 students enrolled, nearly 85 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch – an indicator of poverty.” Poverty is a factor that is usually ignored when discussing “failing schools”.

The article then detailed all that the District is doing to remedy the situation. It seemed pretty substantial to us, much like how the District has been responding to parents’ issues at sites like Ochoa and Pueblo.

Maybe some recognition should also be given to Superintendent H.T. Sanchez. He and the Board have supported the parents in their struggle with the court and the deseg lawsuit and have been proactive on such things as teacher pay, smaller class sizes, and now major discipline problems which has been a major issue in the deseg case and with the Department of Justice. (We do agree he gets paid too much)

He is providing leadership in digging TUSD out of the hole it was put into by Pedicone and others, all happening in the context of criminally underfunded public education in the state of Arizona.

Felicidades a las escuelas Santa Cruz y San Juan… y las escuelas de los barrios de TUSD tambien

por Brian Flagg y Cesar Aguirre

traducido por Alicia Nuñez

Felicidades  a las escuelas  Santa Cruz y San Juan por ser “reconocidas en la Casa Blanca” como parte de Bright Spots en la iniciativa de Educación Hispana.

“Las escuelas son parte de la academia Notre Dame ACE,  lo cual incrementa el acceso a excelencia educacional para estudiantes Latinos” hay dos de los “más de 230 Bright Spots en la escala nacional.

Esto es muy bueno pero en nuestro barrio, Barrio Libre,  que abarca  más o menos el Sur de Tucson, muy pocos, si es que alguno asiste a la escuela Santa Cruz, aunque Barrio Libre es 100% perteneciente a esta iglesia.

La mayoría de nuestros hijos asisten a la escuela Ochoa, Safford y Pueblo High School.

Los padres y estudiantes de estas escuelas merecen reconocimiento porque ellos se han organizado para defender los programas  magnet, lo cual trae fondos adicionales y oportunidades para estas escuelas que asisten a familias Latinas que tienen dificultades para salir de la pobreza.

El periódico Daily Star a tratado de voltear la reclamación delos padres diciendo que no estaban bien informados o que era una ‘gran mentira’ como dijo Tim Steller en su parte de opinión donde el fallo en decir mentiras o desinformación que los padres tenían. Muchos de nosotros hemos leído la orden de la corte, la Comprensivo Plan de Magnet  (CMP) y el Unitary Status Plan (USP)  y los entendimos y estamos de acuerdo con el Dr. Sanchez, que recibió este plan hace dos años, que el CMP daña a los mismos estudiantes que este caso de segregación pretendía ayudar.

Yo creo que porque nosotros no tenemos títulos o diplomas que dicen que somos importantes como los líderes del grupo de padres en Vail somos vistos como desinformados o incapaces de comprender. Quizás no somos el color o la clase adecuada? o quizás necesitamos ampliarnos y juntarnos con los padres de Vail, ya que todos queremos lo mejor para nuestros hijos.

Esto no es un movimiento que empezó durante la noche cuando TUDS anuncio la CMP dos veranos atrás. La Comunidad de Ochoa tenía que  pelear por existir y no ha podido descansar desde la primera vez que iba a ser cerrada en el 2009. Nos agarraron por sorpresa en el 2012 cuando el superintendente de TUSD John Pedicone cerró 11 escuelas en el vecindario, poniendo a Ochoa en la lista. Entonces nosotros nos propusimos continuar organizándonos para ser más efectivos.

El resultado de esta injusticia puede ser leído en la página de enfrente del artículo en el periódico de hoy Daily Star en Secrist Middle School. El artículo es acerca de como el comportamiento de los estudiantes esta fuera de control. Pero también dice que el nuevo director “tiene una escuela que se fue de servir a 377 estudiantes a una populación de 637 durante el año  escolar 2013-14 por el cierre de la escuela Carson.

“Hoy, de los más de 500 estudiantes inscritos, cerca del 85% califican para almuerzo gratis o de bajo costo-un indicador de pobreza. El número de estudiantes de educación-especial es más grande que otras escuelas secundarias de TUSD

El artículo también dijo con detalle todo lo que el distrito está haciendo para remediar esta situación. Parece muy sustancial para nosotros, así como el Distrito ha respondido a las situaciones de los padres como en la escuela Ochoa o Pueblo.

Quizás algún reconocimiento debería darse al director H. T. Sanchez. El y su mesa directiva han apoyado a los padres con este problema de la corte y la segragacion y han sido Productivos en cosas como pago a los maestros, clases pequeñas, y ahora más problemas de disciplina que ha sido el mayor problema en el caso de segregación y el Departamento de Justicia. (estamos de acuerdo que le pagan mucho)

Él nos ayudó con su liderazgo a sacar a TUSD del hoyo en que estaba por Pedicone y otros, todo esto paso en el contexto criminal de educación pública con financiación insuficiente del estado de Arizona.