La Plaza; Guardians of Pride

WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.) · October 26, 1996

This is an episode of the series "La Plaza." Includes interviews with teacher Berta Berriz; Magdalena Gomez, teacher at Holyoke Magnet School for the Arts; Rep. William J. Glodis, Jr. (D-Worchester); Joel Gomez, director of the Center for the Studen of Language and Education, George Washington University; Boston School Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant; Christine M. Rossell, professor of Political Science at Boston University; Carlos Romero Barcelo, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico; Hernandez School principal Margarita Muniz; and Rep. Ellen G. Chesky (D-Holyoke). Also includes footage of Marilou Calderon's two-way bilingual fourth grade class at Hernandez School; a cultural festival; classrooms; an address by HUD secretary Henry Cisneros; a campaign speech by Senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole; children watching Al Pacino in "Scarface"; footage of a protest rally; and a PTA meeting at Blackstone School. "From Boston to Holyoke and all over the nation, as the number of ethnic minorities increase in schools, bilingual education is the subject of a heated debate. La Plaza talks to its supporters, its critics, and its participants in Guardians of Pride. La Plaza visits public schools in Massachusetts to explore how teachers address in creative ways the issues of ethnicity and identity of a predominantly diverse educational setting."--1996 Peabody Award entry form.