Media Kit

Contact: Rodrigo Alvarez Muñoz
Office (202) 625-0885 • ralvarez@hcreo.org


Mission and Purpose
The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (Hispanic CREO) is a non-partisan constituency and 501 (c) (3) non-profit public policy organization, whose mission is to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children by empowering families through parental choice in education. Our purpose is to be a national voice for the right of Hispanic families to access all educational options and to be an agent for equity and quality in education.

History

Hispanic CREO was founded in 2001 to address the crisis in Latino education by empowering Latino families with parental choice in education. By creating coalitions with schools, faith-based organizations, advocates and like-minded groups, Hispanic CREO has been able to educate, motivate and mobilize Latino parents to take action on school choice.


School Choice
As the largest national Latino organization dedicated solely to education reform, Hispanic CREO’s mission is to improve educational outcomes through parental choice in education. This is a parent’s fundamental right to select the school that best fits their children’s educational needs. These options include the following:

• Traditional public schools
• Charter schools
• Public magnet schools
• Private/religious non-profit schools
• Private for-profit schools
• Home-schooling
• Public-private school ventures
• Distance education
• Public schools managed by private sector organizations

About the Interim President
Anthony J. Colón served as Vice President of the Center for Community Educational Excellence at the National Council of La Raza, and grew a fledgling department into a national leader in community-based education reform, positioning NCLR as the #1 expert on Hispanic-serving Pre-K through 12 education programs. Mr. Colón holds master’s degrees in educational administration and educational supervision from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York.


MEDIA SERVICES TO REPORTERS AND EXPERT CONTACTS

The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (Hispanic CREO) is pleased to offer a wide range of media services for education reporters writing about school choice. Hispanic CREO’s Communication Department can arrange interviews with field organizers, parent, students, and Hispanic school choice leaders.

Please contact Hispanic CREO’s Communications Department at (202) 625-0885.



Hispanics and Early Childhood Education

Fact: In 2002, only 41% of Hispanic 3-and 4-year-olds were enrolled in early childhood programs, compared to 58% of both Whites and Blacks.

Source: Bureau of the Census, School Enrollment-Social and Economic Characteristics. Table 1. Enrollment Status of the Population 3 Years Old and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic Origin, Nativity, and Selected Educational Characteristics: October 2002.

Hispanics in Elementary Education

Fact: Hispanic students consistently perform below the national average in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In both 4th and 8th grades, Hispanic students lag behind white peers in reading, mathematics, and science proficiency.

Source: NCES, The Condition of Education, 2006, Indicators 12, 13, 18

Hispanics in Secondary Education

Fact: Only 52% of Hispanic students graduate on time.

Source: Alliance for Excellent Education, www.all4ed.org