Bridging two worlds

Danette Goulet

As the sun set, casting long shadows across the second-story

apartment, 10-year-old Edward Pinon’s two worlds met.

A pitcher of lemonade and a couple of glasses on the kitchen table

separated Edward’s fifth-grade teacher, Trip Montgomery, and his parents.

Like the children of many Latino families, Edward lives split between

two cultures -- home and school. Rarely do the two ever truly meet.

It was to bridge gaps and open lines of communication among teachers,

parents and students -- like those opened at the Pinons’ kitchen table --

that the state this year began the teacher home visit program that

brought Montgomery to Edward’s apartment.

“Teachers, through this home visit, can see us and how these children

live with their families, and in this way they can understand a little,”

said Rosalia Pinon, Edward’s mother. “And in this way, teachers can learn

about and understand my reactions to some things in school because school

is one culture and home is another. And so that there aren’t secrets

between teachers and parents.”

Local leaders of the the Orange County Congregation Community

Organization, a grass-roots community group, fought last spring to bring

the program to five Westside schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District: Pomona, Rea, Wilson and Whittier elementary schools and

TeWinkle Middle School.

Now they are fighting to keep the program’s funding from being cut

from next year’s state budget.

The Nell-Soto grant program, which provides each school with $25,000

for the teacher home visits, is designed to aid students academically and

to improve relations between teachers and parents.

The grant pays for training and provides stipends for those teachers

making the visits, said Alma Vergara, a community organizer for the

group.

Vergara joined members of organizations in three other counties

Tuesday in holding a press conference that they hoped would demonstrate

the community support for the program to members of the Senate Education

Committee, who will vote today on the education budget.

“Our purpose today is to send a message to legislators. We want more

teacher home visits,” said Laura Avella, a parent of students at Pomona

Elementary and TeWinkle Middle schools at the press conference. “If we

don’t support this project, Gov. Gray Davis won’t send more money.”

Parents said they spoke out because the loss of the program would be

devastating to families such as Edward’s, who are just beginning to reap

the benefits.

“It makes me learn and try harder in school and not hide secrets,”

Edward said with a sly grin after his parents learned he’d been falling

behind with his homework.

Montgomery sat down with Edward’s parents, away from the classroom

setting, and let them in on their son’s progress and his potential.

“It’s all about reaching out and communicating,” Montgomery said.

“Edward has two worlds, and they’re fragmented. When we can come

together, the walls fall down and there aren’t two worlds anymore.”