CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For some students, graduating is not an easy task and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools district has the data to prove it.
"At some schools, the classes are too big and the teachers don’t have time for you," a Latino CMS sophomore told WCNC Charlotte.
The latest census data shows the fastest-growing race or ethnicity across the country is Hispanic or Latino.
That stat holds true for North Carolina as well and is why school districts like CMS are trying to make sure that the community has every opportunity like any other group.
Monday night, the district held a town hall for the Spanish-speaking community to engage with families and discuss plans to close the lingering achievement gaps.
"We are going to be very behind," former CMS parent Irania Macias said.
Macias is pushing district leaders to better meet the needs of all kids. She says a big part of that is connecting with the parents too.
"As a parent, it's difficult to catch up on so much information and not having the language skill to understand all of that," Macias said.
Macias said it starts at home and if parents are lost, they can’t be of much assistance.
"One of the answers is to empower the parents," Macias said. "We cannot isolate kids from parents, parents are also a part of the education," said Macias.
Parents like Angela Conchadehernandez also voiced concerns about barriers in the classroom.
"Teachers will speak to them and they have no idea what they're saying," Conchadehernandez said. "It’s a culture shock, it’s a language shock, they need more support. "Every school should have some kind of connection."
Angela said she’s pushing for more staff to help translate, making students and parents feel more involved.
They said connections are key to careers and success. That's why they’re pushing to be a part of the solution.
"We are here we need to know how to help so we can be a part of the solution," Macias said.
CMS leaders said they are working on solutions to help build these connections with the growing Spanish-speaking community.
That includes increasing early literacy from kindergarten through second grade, ensuring all kids have a solid foundation in math one and ensuring every student is enrolled or employed after graduation.
The district is hoping to achieve these benchmarks by 2029.
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