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My Parents Didn't Make It Past the Third Grade. I'm Working to Change That for Families in San Antonio.

Sep 17, 2018 12:00:00 AM

by Arnold Hernandez

My personal story begins with my family. I was born the youngest of seven children to a migrant farming family. My parents’ education did not extend past the third grade. Sadly, education was a luxury that was not a priority in our household. Today, when you ask my parents about their education they simply say, “We didn’t know.” Today is a different day and I “do know”—in fact many of us “know.” We know that early childhood education has long been recognized as important in the development of a child. Ongoing research supports the difference a quality education and rich early childhood experience can make in a child’s development. It is for this reason, that I am proud to work with families to educate them on their educational options and ultimately help them find the best educational setting for their child. My new role at New Frontiers Public Schools, a public charter school district that has served the south side of San Antonio for over 20 years, allows me to live my passion. We are a community-based, open enrollment, free public charter schools serving pre-K through 12th grade. We offer a collegiate pathway to and through college for our students by integrating high rigor, innovative and individualized strategies to meet the needs of all learners. Through our partnership with Palo Alto College, the Frank L. Madla Early College High School offers a college immersion program where students are embedded in college courses with other college students. [pullquote]Our graduates earn both an associate degree and a distinguished high school diploma, all at no cost to their families.[/pullquote] In San Antonio, people are recognizing that we need to do more for our students, and calling for it through the Keep Learning, San Antonio campaign. We need to keep changing, continue to try new things, and give our kids the 21st century skills they need in changing world. For far too long, our communities have been unaware of their educational choice. I am grateful to be able to concentrate my work on helping families find their educational fit so that they too will know.
Photo courtesy of Frank L. Madla Early College High School/Facebook.

Arnold Hernandez

Arnold Hernandez is a journalist-turned-education recruiter, passionate about helping families and students navigate through the educational systems. He worked as a journalist for KAKW- Univision 62 Austin and Time Warner-News 8 Austin, which led him to his tenure as the national spokesperson for the Sallie Mae Fund. There he educated 57,000 students and their parents about the importance of pursuing higher education in more than sixty cities across the United States. Arnold has also worked as an admission counselor at St. Edward’s University where he has guided parents and students from diverse backgrounds through the college exploration and college admission process. His introduction to the world of Charter Schools came when working as the director of student and community engagement at Wayside Schools in Austin. Today his mission of connecting families with the best educational opportunities continues in his role as the student recruitment coordinator for New Frontiers Public Schools in San Antonio, Texas. Arnold holds a BA in communications and journalism from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.

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