Transformative Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Realizing Equity Praxis Through Community Connections and Local Solutions

Abstract

Schools serve as antidemocratic spaces where teacher, parent, community member, and student voices are typically disregarded. Instead, philanthropists and businesses are allowed to drive school and district agendas. An exploration of 3 local efforts that connect a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) with prekindergarten to Grade 12 students and their families confirms that community members themselves know the solutions to the problems schools face. Viable solutions cannot be divorced from society and the economy. HSIs can become transformative by employing an “equity praxis” that merges theory with practice for the purpose of achieving social and economic justice.

Keywords:

• Hispanic-Serving Institution
• multiliteracy
• Chican@/Latin@
• equity
• praxis
• achievement gap/opportunity gap
• bilingual education
• locally based solutions