Chicano Studies elementary teacher licensure now offered
by Kathryn Graham
The Metropolitan
 File
Photo / The Metropolitan
Metro professor Luis Torres poses for a photo in his office. He is former
chair of Metro’s Chicano Studies department and played an intricate
role in helping Metro gain approval to offer Chicano Studies teacher licensures
for K-12.
Metro’s Chicano Studies Department is the only one of its kind
in the state of Colorado. The program is designed to help students earn
an elementary education teacher’s license. The success was gained
by using the state’s own law as a reason for getting the Colorado
Department of Education to grant the licensure.
After receiving secondary social studies teachers’ licensure for
grades 9-12 back in 2001, the Chicano Studies department submitted another
proposal to the CDE for an elementary education licensure. CDE was reluctant
to grant the licensure. However, the Chicano Studies department was persistent
and kept revising the proposal in hopes of gaining approval from the CDE,
said Luis Torres, professor and former chair of Metro’s Chicano
Studies department.
The victory came when Metro’s Chicano Studies department realized
that state law actually supported the licensure. When it was brought to
the attention of the CDE, Metro’s Chicano Studies department was
given approval.
“There’s actually a law that this type of instruction be
provided in all parts of the state,” Torres said.
Colorado Statute 22-1-104 mandates that ethnic curriculums be taught
in grades K-12. It states: “The history and civil government of
the United States, which includes the history, culture, and contributions
of minorities including, but not limited to, the American Indians, the
Hispanic Americans, and the African Americans, shall be taught in all
the public schools of the state.”
Although the statute was passed in 1998, no college licensure for education
has been implemented to ensure the philosophy implied in that law be upheld.
However, if Metro is the only college doing this, then the law has yet
to be supported in other parts of the state.
“They don’t uphold the law and it’s very frustrating.
That is why this is a big step; this licensure will help to uphold that
law,” Torres said.
“We’re pleased to be the first to get this licensure, but
want other universities to get it, too. This Chicano Studies curriculum
is for all students,” he said.
“We heard about it and it’s wonderful news. We’re excited
about trying to follow Metro’s example,” said Arturo Aldama,
a professor of ethnic studies from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Denver has a 38 percent Latino population, but it could be higher. The
census doesn’t do a good job of accurately reporting those statistics,
he said.
Due to the way their department is organized, CU-Boulder, if approved
for the licensure, will have a different outcome than Metro. CU-Boulder
has one Ethnic Studies department, which encompasses all of its ethnic
majors. In other words, the licensure will include its African American
Studies department as well as the Chicano Studies department, and all
of the other departments included in CU-Boulder’s Ethnic Studies
department.
“It’s better for us (Metro) to be in individual departments
because we can have an emphasis in our direction,” Torres said.
In the past, other states have already launched teacher licensure programs
through their ethnic studies departments to support the diversity of their
state populations.
“I used to be a professor at Arizona State. They adopted a teacher’s
licensure program for their ethnic studies department back in 2001. To
have a curriculum that reflects a state’s diversity makes sense.
Our ethnic studies students here want to be teachers and last I heard
we’re going to try to follow suit with Metro,” Aldama said.
“Our school of education dean, Lorrie Shepard, has the plan for
the licensure and is putting it into motion.”
As other Colorado universities follow Metro’s lead, the new licensure
will provide opportunities for all students who intend to teach in Colorado
and the west after graduation.
“We want any students interested in teaching elementary education
to consider Chicano studies—especially when, in Denver Public Schools,
about 56 or 57 percent (of students) are Chicano,” Torres said.
It is a common misconception that only Chicano students enroll in Chicano
Studies classes, when in fact many Chicano Studies students come from
all different backgrounds, he said.
The newly granted elementary education licensure means students who major
in Chicano studies will now be able to qualify as elementary school teachers
provided they successfully complete all the requirements for that field
of study.
“Chicano studies are interdisciplinary, meaning that our students
study a wide range of various courses. This year, I think we probably
have about 40 to 50 students majoring in Chicano studies,” Torres
said.
CU Boulder has about 25 students majoring in Chicano Studies, Aldama
said.
“It makes sense here (in Colorado) to have ethnic studies in general
and Chicano studies specifically,” Aldama said.
“The teacher’s licensure curriculum is available for teachers
to be able to do a good job teaching in Colorado and in the Denver area,”
Torres said.
“Metro’s department of education and Vice President Joan
Foster helped quite a bit. I really want to thank them for helping us
like they did and doing their part. It was actually a college-wide effort,”
Torres said.
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