In a move in which Latinos stand to be the biggest beneficiaries, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are giving San Francisco Bay Area schools $120 million.
Latinos are a dominant segment of the student body in two of the three school districts that are receiving the gift, which aims to finance computers, connectivity and teacher training.
In Ravenswood, the couple pointed out, less than 40 percent of Latino students – who predominate in the schools – have proficiency in English. The district's science studies survived mainly because of volunteers, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
"This means fewer students from low-income and minority backgrounds graduating from high school or attending and succeeding in college," said the couple in an essay they wrote for The San Jose Mercury News.
"This situation doesn't exist for lack of effort by our school leaders," they wrote. "There are many heroic educators doing their best to serve students here. But the challenges are much greater than the resources they receive ... The commitment we're announcing today is our effort to change this." READ MORE
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