Hartford Mothers Form School Advocacy Committee to Push for Translation Services, Better Facilities
Why It Matters
In Connecticut, immigrant parents with limited English proficiency continue to face significant barriers when navigating the public school system. A grassroots effort in Hartford is working to change that — one Wednesday at a time.
What Happened
A group of more than 15 mothers, originally connected through Hartford Deportation Defense, began meeting weekly at a local church last spring to organize around school quality issues affecting their children. The women, who are originally from Central and South America and the Caribbean, formed what they call a schools committee after discussing gaps in support at their children’s schools.
Ruth Valera, an organizer with Hartford Deportation Defense who leads the committee, described their approach: “We want our neighborhood schools to be of high quality, so we identify the issues facing the schools here, put them to a vote, and organize ourselves to put them to action.”
Over roughly a year of organizing, the group has pushed for translation services at schools and public meetings, advocated for improved school facilities, and built a support network among its members.
Language Barriers Remain a Core Issue
For many of the mothers, communicating with teachers, administrators, and city officials about their children’s education has been a persistent challenge. Connecticut passed legislation addressing English language learner rights in 2023 and adopted a formal Bill of Rights for English Language Learners in 2024, but implementation has been uneven and funding remains insufficient.
Committee member Yaritza Mogollon described the challenge plainly: “It’s difficult for parents who just speak Spanish to know the rights they have in a school and what they can request for their children.” Valera noted that many parents remain unaware they are legally entitled to request a translator at school meetings.
The committee sees their shared Spanish language not as a limitation but as a unifying asset in their advocacy work.
Zoom Out
The Hartford schools committee follows a pattern seen in other immigrant parent advocacy efforts. A similar group affiliated with Make The Road, known as the “Warrior Mothers,” ran a 2022 campaign — No Más Barreras, Acceso a la Educación — focused on interpretation access for parents with limited English proficiency in school settings. Nationally, school districts with large immigrant populations have faced ongoing pressure to close language access gaps as enrollment of English language learners has grown. Advocates have also raised related concerns about whether school policies adequately consider the needs of students facing structural disadvantages.
What’s Next
The committee plans to continue its weekly Wednesday meetings and expand its advocacy efforts. With state-level language access legislation already on the books, the group’s near-term focus is on pushing Hartford schools to implement existing rights more consistently — particularly ensuring that Spanish-speaking parents are informed of their right to translation services. Broader school policy debates, including how schools manage student environment and engagement, remain active areas of discussion across Connecticut.