Lorna Rivera is the Director of the Mauricio GastÓn Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, and Associate Professor in the Leadership in Education Department and Latino Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is the author of the award-winning book, Laboring to Learn: Women’s Literacy and Poverty in the Post-Welfare Era. Melissa ColÓn is an assistant professor of Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Before becoming a professor and researcher, she worked as a public school teacher, community organizer, and nonprofit leader, including serving as the Executive Director of Iniciativa: The Massachusetts Educational Initiative for Latino Students.
“This new volume is valuable for the diversity it brings to its topic, with a mix of research methodologies; voices of academics and community members; varied generations of contributors; and the issues it addresses, including legal documentation, languages used in the classroom, and dis/abilities. It nicely builds on the historical work of the GastÓn Institute.”—Ofelia Garcia, author of Bilingual Education in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective “This volume offers a series of strong, informative, and timely chapters on the state of Latino youth education in Massachusetts, ultimately making a well-rounded case for what changes should be made to improve the circumstances for Latino students within schools. The stories of educators and leaders who have navigated the complicated, frustrating, and often discriminatory blockades in Latino education offer insights into what it takes to keep going, and how to do things right.”—Michael Medina, Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education Human Development