President Obama just signed an executive order on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, so it’s timely that Teach For America is hosting Latinos and Education: A Discussion on the Pursuit of Excellence on Monday, November 8, in Los Angeles. The event features policy gurus like Juan Sepúlveda, the director of the White House initiative as well as celebs like actor Wilmer Valderrama.
Amanda Fernandez, Teach For America's Vice President for Diversity and Inclusiveness says forty percent of the children their teachers reach are Hispanic. The nonprofit's also looking to further engage everyday people in the work of closing the Hispanic achievement gap. We caught up with Amanda to talk about why educating the Hispanic community is so critical, what people can do to get involved, and about Teach For America's commitment to increasing Hispanic diversity in their teaching corps.