69´«Ã½

Equity & Diversity

Uvalde 69´«Ã½ Aren’t Defined by One Tragedy. Here Are Key Moments in Their History

By Ileana Najarro — August 16, 2022 2 min read
69´«Ã½ walking in the streets of Uvalde, Texas participating in the 1970 Uvalde School Walkout. Pictured bottom right in numerical order are Mary Helen Canales, Lee Lugo, and Alfred Santos.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

In Uvalde, Texas, the local schools are part of a complex history of discrimination, activism, progress, and grief for the area’s Mexican-American community.

After the horrific shooting in May 2022, the schools of Uvalde entered a new chapter in the town’s story, one where community advocacy will likely play center stage once again—just as it did many years ago during a 1970 effort to secure better schooling for its Mexican and Mexican-American families.

As families try to figure out how to put the pieces of their lives back together, they’ll be writing the next chapter of this story.

For now, let’s take a look back at a few key events in the history of the community’s relationship with its schools.

Early 1900s

A Mexican deputy sheriff wants his children to attend a white school in town, prompting a threatening letter from the Ku Klux Klan.

December 1969

69´«Ã½ of Crystal City, a neighboring community, hold a walkout demanding better access to quality education. By this time, a national movement for Mexican, Mexican American, and Chicano rights has gathered strength.

Participating in the Uvalde School walkout of 1970 pictured from left to right, Eddie Alvarado holding sign "Viva La Raza" and Heraldo Perez holding sign "Animo Raza!" Behind them are Pablo Hernandez and Silvestre Ontiveros.

April 14, 1970

Uvalde students and parents lead their own walkout demanding more Latino teachers, that Spanish be permitted be spoken in school, and better instruction overall in the schools. That same year, parent activist Genoveva Morales files a lawsuit against the school district for discrimination. It seeks integration of the schools.

1975

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit finds that the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District failed to desegregate its schools—reversing in part a previous court opinion. The decision leads to a consent decree issued in 1976, which was later modified several times over the years.

The streets of Uvalde, Texas in 1970.

2013

Superintendent Jeanette Ball is hired. During her tenure, which lasts about six years, she develops a dual language program in the district.

2014

The junior high school in the district is named after Genoveva Morales.

Mexican American students of Uvalde Junior High School participated in the six-week school walkout in Uvalde, Texas.

2017

The 1970 class action against the Uvalde school district is resolved.

2018

The Uvalde High School valedictorian references school shootings in her graduation speech. That year, 27 people are killed in school shootings, including at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in February, and at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas in May.

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Supt. Dr. Hal Harrell speaks during a news conference to provide an update following the recent school shooting at Robb Elementary, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. Two teachers and 19 students were killed in the mass shooting.

Spring 2021

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Hal Harrell says federal relief funding from the coronavirus pandemic will go towards addressing learning gaps, improving the learning environment, and enhancing safety.

2021-22 school year

The district’s dual language program grows into a charter school as demand for the program surges.

May 24, 2022

A mass shooting at Robb Elementary takes the lives of 19 students and 2 teachers.

Visitors walk past a makeshift memorial honoring those recently killed at Robb Elementary School, Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. A Texas lawmaker says surveillance video from the school hallway where police waited as a gunman opened fire in a fourth-grade classroom will be shown this weekend to residents of Uvalde.

Related Tags:

Sources: Education Week reporting; Uvalde Leader-News
A version of this article appeared in the August 31, 2022 edition of Education Week as Uvalde 69´«Ã½ Aren’t Defined By One Tragedy

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69´«Ã½
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Equity & Diversity Spotlight Spotlight on Equity
This Spotlight will help you explore critical issues related to DEI, as well as strategies to address disparities in access and opportunity.
Equity & Diversity Opinion The Fight Over DEI Continues. Can We Find Common Ground?
Polarizing discussion topics in education can spark a vicious cycle of blame. Is it possible to come to a mutual understanding?
7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion You Need to Understand Culturally Responsive Teaching Before You Can Do It
Too often, teachers focus solely on the content. They need to move beyond that and get out of their comfort zones.
11 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Equity & Diversity Opinion How Can Educators Strike a Healthy Balance on Diversity and Inclusion?
DEI advocates and opponents both have good points—and both can go too far.
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty