Martinez aims to bring Latino voice to schools

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 2/17/15

At the beginning of February, Governor Gina Raimondo announced her nominations for the Board of Education, one nominee being a Warwick resident, Marta Martinez for the K-12 Council.

“I had no …

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Martinez aims to bring Latino voice to schools

Posted

At the beginning of February, Governor Gina Raimondo announced her nominations for the Board of Education, one nominee being a Warwick resident, Marta Martinez for the K-12 Council.

“I had no aspirations for the board, but then I got a call from the governor’s office out of the blue,” Martinez said. “I have been on enough boards and committees to know that if the governor calls, you don’t say no. I was honored to have been nominated.”

Martinez has talked with the governor on other issues. The governor’s office could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Martinez, born in Mexico, grew up in Texas and moved to Rhode Island when she attended Providence College, getting her Bachelor’s in English. She lived in Maryland, receiving her Masters in Journalism from George Washington University, before returning to Rhode Island with her husband Patrick Youngs to begin a family.

Since her return in the ’80s, Martinez has been highly involved in both education and the community as a whole.

She worked as a Spanish teacher for St. Peter School and currently is the executive director of Rhode Island Latino Arts.

Much of her advocacy work has been done within the Latino community. She was the chair of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs and when she was the director of publications for the Rhode Island Historical Society, she even created an archive collection of Latino works among various other initiatives.

“I think my Latino background will be an asset,” Martinez said. “There are very few Latinos serving on any boards. I will look out for the Latino community as much as I can and try to be a voice for them.”

Although she still has to go through a Senate confirmation hearing to be appointed to the Board, Martinez says that she will continue being an advocate for the Latino community. One of the initiatives she would like to see is a form of financial aid be offered to undocumented children in the school systems.

She said more often than not these students are unaware of the undocumented status until high school when they come of age of driving or working.

Martinez said, “They are brought here by their parents usually when they are very young. They become defeated. It is not their fault; their families came here to provide them with a better future. They grew up here; they feel American. If they were to be sent back, they would be foreigners there.”

These students’ morale and motivation are depleted and that leads them to drop out. She believes by offering financial aid for a community college, students will feel more positive about their futures and lead to a reduced dropout rate.

Martinez feels that she is a good candidate for the job, because she can come at the job from “so many angles.”

She said, “As a parent of whose children went through the schools, here I am able to listen and identify with a parent’s needs. There was also a lot of good that happened for my kids. I have been in the classroom before, too. They focused on my family. I come from a family of educators; both my parents and all my sisters have worked in education.”

If confirmed, Martinez knows there is a lot to be done in terms of educational reform, that it will be a “tough job” but she believes this could be the year Rhode Island sees great change.

“We need educational reform,” she said. “I think this is the year we are going to do it and this is the governor for the job. She is warm and caring. You know it is a priority for her.”

A priority for Martinez is to see more schools update to fit with digital and 21st century learning.

She said, “Our students are different than they were even five years ago. They come in to kindergarten knowing to type and use a computer. It is an evolving world and we need to keep up with that.”

She believes schools need to embrace technology, using more innovative ways of educating and making sure schools have the tools they need to be the best educators, such as smart boards and computer labs.

Martinez wants to see students get the best education they can and believes that broadening the learning experience is a big part of that.

“Kids just want to learn, and field trips, guest speakers and well-rounded educational services; it’s all part of that learning experience. Early years are so important to keep students excited to learn and keep that passion throughout their life,” she said.

Teachers, she believes, are key to making learning fun. She wants to see teachers have the opportunities to get professional training in things like technology. She wants teachers to be excited to teach and be creative again.

She said, “It’s going to be a very busy year; we have a lot to do and I am excited to be a part of it. I am finally in a position to make change.”

Comments

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  • JohnStark

    Let me get this straight. Ms. Martinez seeks to target financial aid specifically to those in the country illegally? And that will dissuade others from entering the country illegally.....How exactly? I'm sure Ms. Martinez is a well-intentioned person. But one is reminded of the adage: "When you tax something you get less of it. When you subsidize something you get more of it"

    Tuesday, February 17, 2015 Report this

  • bendover

    HMMMM...OK, a PC undergrad with a Master's from GWU...Returned to RI in the 80's and taught Spanish. For how long? Does she have to produce a resume or actual work history, say for the last ten years or is this one of those PC correct appointments, no work history needed? Mr. Stark raises some interesting issues involving the catch all phrase "UNDOCUMENTED" and "FINANCIAL AID"...Perhaps Ms. Martinez and Ms. Raimondo should become familiar withe term "Aiding and abetting" "misappropriation of State or federal funds"....In short, we have a responsibility to legit American citizens, who are already having a tough time with student loans and finding jobs...Perhaps Ms. Martinez husband, Asst. attorney general Patrick Youngs could better explain the law as it is written and should be followed rather than when and how it should apply.

    Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Report this