The Utah affiliate of ALAS (the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents) recently announced two $5,000 scholarships for Latino educators who aspire to school and/or district level leadership positions.
The deadline for submitting an application package is April 2, 2018. Interested parties can access the required materials here: http://www.alas-utah.org/alas-scholarship-awards/
To qualify for a scholarship, candidates must either be enrolled in (or have been accepted into) an educational leadership program that leads to an administrative license. The program must be administered at a Utah college or university or by way of an online program while the candidate resides in Utah. Because they must also be a current dues-paying member of ALAS-Utah, interested parties are encouraged to visit the organization’s website: http://www.alas-utah.org/. Alignment with the vision of ALAS-Utah is an important qualification; i.e., to be “the driving force that increases upward mobility for students, teachers, and administrators within the Latino educational community, positioning them to serve the broader community with effectiveness, acceptance, and respect.”
ALAS-Utah was established in September of 2015 and continues to advocate for Latino students and administrators. The mission of the organization is to develop and support current and aspiring Latino educators. ALAS-Utah helps them advance into positions of leadership through mentorship, networking, access, and professional development.
In 2015 Latino students made up 16 percent of public school students in Utah, whereas Latinos made up only 2.1 percent of teachers and principals. (“Census: Utah’s Latino population grows to more than 400,000”; http://archive.sltrib.com/
“We know that students benefit when they can learn from teachers who look like them and who can be strong role models,” former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan once told The Huffington Post. “That’s why recruiting more Latino teachers is part of the overall effort to strengthen the teaching profession and ensure that students are learning from a diverse group of great teachers.” (https://www.huffingtonpost.
By the same token, students benefit when there are district level administrators “who look like them.” Latino administrators champion the needs of Latino students and serve as important role models. In the words of Jason Reynolds, author and educator: “It’s hard to be what you can’t see.” It is because of this need that ALAS-Utah is offering financial assistance to Latino educators who are pursuing advanced degrees in education.
