As a Cypress Falls HS graduate and former student at Truitt MS and
Hairgrove ES, Cypress Falls HS AP Roberto Lopez recognized a need in the
community to increase parental involvement with the Spanish-speaking
population.
“I thought, ‘Why
not offer parents something that will give them a reason to come to our
school(s)?’” Lopez said. “I felt compelled to give back to the community and
recognized this as that opportunity.”
Lopez
arranged a partnership between Cypress Falls and the Harris County Department
of Education (HCDE) to offer ESL classes that are free of charge and only
require attendance.
The seeds for the program were planted in the summer of 2014, when
Lopez met the HCDE coordinator at a training.
“I shared
the vision of working on increasing parent involvement at Cy Falls,” he said. “We
exchanged business cards and a few weeks later an HCDE representative was at
our school. In the fall of 2014, we started with an informational meeting for
all those parents interested in becoming involved in the program.”
With the support of his campus administrators and assistance of
campus secretaries, hundreds of letters were sent home to inform parents of the
upcoming classes.
Cypress Falls held a student orientation and registration in the
spring of 2015. The unprecedented turnout resulted in eight to 10 classrooms
filled to capacity with adults who either wanted to learn English or obtain
their GED.
“In
addition, HCDE has granted the staff at Cy Falls to incorporate topics related
to successful communication between schools, students and parents,” Lopez said.
“Last year during the classes, we presented two topics both in English and in
Spanish. The parents were very appreciative.”
Classes for the current semester have already been filled, and
Lopez said the age of participants ranges from teenagers to early 70s.
Approximately 20 students signed up for the GED classes, with 80 registrants
for the ESL classes.
“Many of the
students have children that attend Cy Falls High School,” Lopez said. “A
waiting list is already in place for next semester. Maybe this is one way to
narrow the achievement gap?
