PEMA parent group paves the way for passionate purpose

The Padres, Estudiantes y Maestros Asociación (PEMA) was relaunched this past May, ending a hiatus since the 1980s when the Hispanic Parent Teacher Student Association dissolved. The Latino and Spanish speaking group, founded by Dr. Berenice Onofre, is focused on providing a voice and community for Latino and Spanish speaking parents and students at Samo. Despite facing initial application hindrances, the group was unanimously approved by the school board at the Sept. 6, 2018 board meeting and is now officially acknowledged by SMMUSD as an independent, parent-led group. The group was originally founded in 1989 by Rebecca Villegas, who has been a key player in the reestablishment of the group this year. Villegas is excited to take steps to reinstate the committee under its new function as a school-connected organization. She speaks highly of the work the group plans to do.“PEMA’s mission is to provide information and resources to Latino parents and families and empower them to become engaged in the education of their children with the ultimate goal to have a positive outcome on Latino student academic achievement,” Villegas said.The stated mission of the PEMA group is to lessen the achievement gap and provide a centralized voice for the expanse of the Latino community throughout the district. The group encourages parent engagement alongside their children throughout the high school path. PEMA opens a channel for Latino parents -- who may be unfamiliar with the nuances of the U.S. educational system -- to convene and discuss the best courses of action for the benefits of their children.Latinos comprise 30 percent of the district’s population and PEMA members feel that the already established English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) does not do a sufficient job of providing Latinos a singular outlet for their ideas about education. The official establishment of a second Latino-focused parent group comes at a time when the district is marshalling efforts to raise the 84 percent of the Latino students that met high school graduation requirements in 2016; in contrast, 90 percent of all students met the requirements. PEMA has received continued support from the SMMUSD Family Engagement Framework, a concerted movement to work with schools to implement actionable community engagement mediums. The campaign is not only concerned with enabling schools to connect with parents, but also to make sure such practices are regular and impartial in reg­ard to varying ethnic groups.However, the now-acknowledged group did not have a spotless path to acceptance. Lupe Ibarra, Chair of the PTSA, voiced opposition fearing PEMA would create a divisive culture among English learning groups. SMMUSD board member, Oscar de la Torre, countered the claims asking Ibarra whether ELAC, a group with a Spanish-speaking majority, should be seen as an issue as well. “I’m supportive of groups that are going to support our kids … if they are going to support our kids, I am here to help in that effort,” Dr. Antonio Shelton said.