Our History:
Padres Unidos was born out of a struggle at Valverde Elementary School in Denver where parents removed a principal for refusing to stop the practice of forcing Mexicano children to eat their lunches from the cafeteria floor as a form of punishment. In 1992, after a year of organizing and successfully replacing the administrative leadership at Valverde, parents determined that it was necessary to build off of their experience and work with other parents in dealing with similar issues within Denver Public Schools. Parents from all over the district were calling Valverde parents for guidance, advice and support. With no office, staff, or money, Padres Unidos was formed by parents willing to organize in their efforts for educational justice, equity and excellence in the Denver Public Schools.
With roots in the struggle for educational justice, Padres has evolved into a multi-issue organization that is led by people of color who fight for equality and justice in the Latino community. Padres Unidos challenges the root cause of discrimination, racism and inequity by exposing the economic, social and institutional basis for injustice as well as developing effective strategies and tactics to make change. Padres Unidos empowers parents and students to organize, develop new leadership and address these issues. Some highlights of the organization's work include the following:
• 1990 - Chicano and Mexican parents replaced principal at Valverde Elementary School - and form a group called Padres Unidos
• 1992 - Padres Unidos files complaint with Office of Civil Rights on DPS violations of Federal policy regarding bilingual education
• 1996 - DPS found guilty of discrimination based on race in bilingual education by the Department of Justice! Stands to loose $30 million in federal support for bilingual education!
• 1996 - Helped organize over 5,000 students to walk-out of school and protest substandard education for Latino students in the Denver Public Schools
• 1997 - Community members of Padres Unidos remove police substation at Horace Mann Middle School and principal who keeps telling students WHAT will happen to them WHEN they go to prison
• 1998 - Mexican mothers in Padres Unidos demand the return of a high school student deported (illegally) from Lincoln High School, and promoted reforms with the INS and DPS. Denver police policies and procedures towards immigrant people were also reformed.
• 2000 - Opening of Academia Ana Marie Sandoval. Mothers in Padres Unidos helped create and open a dual-language/Montessori Elementary school in Northwest Denver with bond money. The Mexican mothers researched models of educational success for Latino children, fought for the curriculum, removed a school member who opposed them and assisted in hiring the staff. The school opened in August 2001 and is named in memory of a veteran fighter for educational justice and member of Padres Unidos - Ana Marie Sandoval.
• 2002 - Campaign to Reform Cole Middle School. After a turbulent 36-month organizing campaign of blood, sweat and tears, Padres members won the implementation of a reform plan for the lowest performing middle school in the state. Padres worked with Mexicano and African American parents and students who called for alternatives to zero tolerance policies and a plan of academic reform.
• 2002 - Defeat of Amendment 31 - Upholding the Right to Bilingual Education. Jovenes and Padres Unidos members participated in a broad-based movement that defeated multi-millionaire Ron Unz's anti-bilingual ballot amendment last fall. In order to preserve programs that allow non-English speaking students equal access to public education, members spent their weekends and evenings doing voter education, registration and get-out-the-vote activities by going door to door, outreaching churches and community groups, and organizing community forums at their schools. To date, Colorado is the only state to have defeated Unz's anti-immigrant initiative.
• 2004 - Helped expand healthcare for the uninsured ($35 million) in the state of Colorado by winning the tobacco tax initiative, Amendment 35.
• 2005 - Reinstatement of students at Adams City High School. Parents from Commerce City called for training from Padres Unidos to help families reverse the school district's decision to expel 17 students for one calendar year for watching a fight. The parents were able to develop their demands, negotiate with the District and get the majority of the students immediately reinstated. Their campaign led to a full investigation of the incident and a call for reform of discipline policies in Adams District 14. Jovenes Unidos (youth initiative of Padres Unidos) is involved in the Freedom to Learn Project, which includes the following activities and campaigns:
• Organizing for Immigrant Student Rights. Jovenes Unidos is the Colorado connection to the National DREAM Act Coalition. If passed, the act would grant undocumented students residency to attend college, receive financial aid and in-state tuition, and enable them to work legally in the United States after graduating from college. Jovenes is also working for instate tuition for undocumented students who graduate from Colorado high schools.
• Stopping the "Schoolhouse to Jailhouse" Track: Jovenes Unidos is one of three youth organizations that is working with the Advancement Project (of Washington, DC) on an initiative to change zero tolerance policies and stop the tracking of students of color into the juvenile justice system. Jovenes is mounting a campaign against what we believe to be the State's deliberate tracking of poor youth and youth of color from school into the prison system by exposing the realities of this trend, developing policy changes to stop it and organizing for implementation.
• Developing a student platform for reform at North High School. At Denver's North High School (85% Latino) Jovenes Unidos interviewed over half the student body to identify key issues of concern. Based on survey findings, they called for reform at North and have helped create the The Plan to Reform North High School. Their research includes investigating the high drop out rate, lack of educational resources and opportunity at their school, analyzing district statistics, and comparing conditions at North to wealthy suburban schools. As a result of their efforts, they were able to work with the school in forming a 70 member committee to develop a plan to turn the school around. Implementation of the comprehensive reform began in April of 2005.
• Summer Leadership Institute. To achieve the goals of Jovenes Unidos, over 15 students participate in summer training to become student organizers for justice. Jovenes Unidos seeks to strengthen its organizational structure and expand its capacity to affect system-wide change by forming Jovenes Unidos chapters throughout the District. To this end, a core of students from five high schools will be attending the Summer Leadership Institute (2005) to develop organizing and leadership skills for the coming school year.