Silencing bicultural parental voices through educational satisfaction: What do we need to know?

ABSTRACT

Parental satisfaction is often used “as one indicator of school success or one outcome of school effectiveness”. However, the notion that it is possible to gauge minoritized parental satisfaction in schools without first understanding their educational beliefs and values about education and their knowledge about the US school system is problematic. This article examines how the concept of “parental satisfaction” may actually silence Latinx parents’ voices (concerns, opinions, input, etc.) in US schools. Latinx parents tend to express high levels of “satisfaction” with US schools irrespective of how well they understand their educational programs or how well their children are doing in school. The dual-language immersion (DLI) setting is used as an example. The author argues that uncritically attributing high levels of educational satisfaction to Latinx parents potentially silences their concerns in school settings, particularly in educational programs that serve parental populations that are asymmetrically positioned in US society.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional resources

1. Mathewsom, T.G. (2016). How can being bilingual be an asset for white students and a deficit for immigrants? One Boston school considers it an “act of social justice” to teaching Latinos in Spanish. The Hechinger Report. http://hechingerreport.org/how-can-being-bilingual-be-an-asset-for-white-students-and-a-deficit-for-immigrants/

This online article examines how dual language immersion programs are also becoming gentrified. It examines the paradox of bilingualism being viewed as a positive for one population but as a negative for another. The dilemma faced by educators and parents in discussed.

2. Olivos, E.M., Jiménez-Castellanos, O. & Ochoa, A.M. (2011). Bicultural parent engagement: Advocacy and empowerment. Teachers College Press.

This edited volume features the work of researchers with expertise in bicultural parental engagement. Chapters examine the role of culture, power, and social capital in diverse school settings. Authors present alternative frameworks from which to examine the participation of bicultural parents in schools.

3. Valdés, G. (2018). Analyzing the curricularization of language in two-way immersion education: Restating two cautionary notes. Bilingual Research Journal, 41, 388–412, https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2018.1539886

This article revisits Valdés’ classic 1997 critical examination of dual language immersion programs and the “unexpected costs of such programs for the [Latinx] community.” Valdés examines issues of equity in these programs within the context of the 50^th anniversary of the 1968 Bilingual Education Act.