Angelus News | May 17, 2024 | Vol. 9 No. 10

“The work that we’re doing with these
schools really speaks to what our faith calls us
to do,” said Gina Aguilar, Ph.D., managing
director of the DCS Academic Excellence
team. “To journey together, and support our
students, and help them become who God
called them to be.”
For elementary students, the program
emphasizes letting students learn at their own
pace while continuously challenging them,
even as their literacy skills improve.
Christian C., a fifth-grader at San Miguel
Catholic School in Watts, said he’s learned
new words this year through SFA that are
strengthening his vocabulary and reading
comprehension skills.
“Now I can use bigger words, longer words to
make better sentences,” he said.
Valery R., also a fifth-grader at San Miguel,
said that while her reading scores have always
been solid, SFA challenges her to achieve
even higher.
“I feel like SFA is just a great way to impact
and expand our reading level,” she said.
In the program’s second year, students will
also get help with math, as well as continued
literacy support.
In the third year, the department will focus
on making the program permanent at the
schools before tapering off its daily support.
Its supporters say Solidarity Schools goes
beyond academic growth in the classroom:
By targeting attendance, behavior, and parent
and family involvement, it also gives valuable
skills to help break the cycle of poverty in which some of their
families live.
At least two-thirds of Solidarity School participants come
from low-income backgrounds, and 94% are Black or Latino,
according to DCS.
Many live in historically underserved communities, where
access to quality housing, health care, and other services
critical to families’ stability are limited, Tagorda said.
Many also come from families still reeling financially from
the COVID-19 pandemic, which can create instability at
home and detract from student performance, he added.
So far, testing data shows that Solidarity Schools students are
making “huge” gains in literacy, Aguilar said. In just the first
three months of the program, the percentage of participants
reading at or above grade level increased by eight points.
Studies also show that the number of elementary students
needing “urgent intervention” is down and schools are meeting
the program’s implementation goals.
At St. Malachy School in South LA, Rosio Orozco — who
serves as both the principal and a full-time fifth-grade teacher
— said the school has seen major improvements in student
behavior and achievement since joining the program.
Orozco said she’s changed her classroom management
style after participating in the program. Instead of “hovering”
over students to ensure they stay on task, she’s now able to let
San Miguel Catholic School student
Keeban M. reads quietly in
class. Supporters of the Solidarity
Schools program have said it
not only helps students in the
classroom, but at home as well.
them set their own learning routine.
“There’s no need for reminders anymore because they are
so involved in it and understand how the process works,” said
Orozco, who’s been teaching for more than 25 years. “That
allows me to take a step back and just see everything come
alive on its own.”
At San Miguel, Maryann Davis, principal, said she’s also
noticed that students are more excited about reading.
“It’s become a community where everybody’s looking out
for each other,” she said. “The students are being responsible
for each other because they care about each other. They’re
working in teams and they want their team to be successful.”
Looking toward the future, Escala said the department has
already been contacted by other schools interested in seeking
to join the Solidarity Schools program.
Escala said he hopes the program grows, because the more
students that are reached, the more lives can be changed.
“In my heart, I believe that this is where our job is as a
church, as a ministry,” he said. “Ending the cycle of poverty
for many children by unlocking the door of literacy is going
to be the biggest upside of this project.”
Theresa Cisneros is a freelance journalist with 24 years of
experience in the news industry. She is a fourth-generation
Southern California resident and lives in Orange County with
her husband and four children.
12 • ANGELUS • May 17, 2024