Voces Unidas President and CEO Alex Sánchez released the following statement after tonight’s announcement that Dr. Anna Cole will be the sole finalist for Superintendent of Schools of the Roaring Fork School District:
“Voces Unidas would like to congratulate Dr. Anna Cole on her selection as sole finalist for superintendent of the Roaring Fork School District. We wish her success and look forward to her leadership in what will undoubtedly be a challenging role as the district’s first non-traditional superintendent.
“Since the start of the search process, we have insisted that the school board recognize the academic needs of all students as a top priority. Not only did the hiring pool lack depth and diversity, but the board’s process lacked Latino participation. Nearly 80 local Latino leaders, many of them current and former parents and students, echoed our concerns when they signed on to a community letter asking the school board to hire an experienced superintendent with a proven history of eliminating student achievement gaps between Latino and white students.
“Despite our advocacy, the school board has selected a leader who has never been a school principal or led district-level turnaround work to eliminate significant student achievement gaps such as the 40-point gap between Latino and white students in the Roaring Fork School District. As we have said before, Latino students cannot wait for leadership to learn on the job. The school board that selected Dr. Cole is now responsible for providing her with the tools needed to hit the ground running, from day one.
“Voces Unidas will continue to advocate for education excellence for all students, but especially Latino students, who make up almost 60% of the school district. We look forward to open and constructive conversations with Dr. Cole and the school board as we hold them accountable for eliminating the district’s chronic achievement gaps, ensuring that every student has equal access to success, and creating opportunities for every parent to be engaged in the decision-making processes at the school and district level.”