Stephanie Parra on 2025 MAPA Summit, education inequities in Latino communities

ALL In Education, a non profit organization dedicated to closing the gap on education and inequities among Arizona Latino youth, recently held its 2025 MAPA Summit, where it unveiled its annual MAPA Report. It is a report measuring and analyzing the state of Latino education, power and influence.

In this “Horizonte” episode, Stephanie Parra, CEO of ALL In Education, discussed the importance of ensuring Latino communities have a voice in education decision-making. With a large Latino population in Arizona, the organization focuses on building leadership capacity from parents to leaders, ensuring representation from the classroom to the boardroom.

Continuing the conversation on Latino news, Parra emphasized the importance of key educational indicators, such as third grade reading levels and eighth grade math scores, in evaluating the Latino community’s progress. Despite efforts, literacy and math rates have remained stagnant over the last five years, with Latinos at 30% literacy and 18% math proficiency. There’s significant work ahead to improve literacy rates for all students in Arizona.

Parra explained that the MAPA report highlights the impact of poverty, housing and food insecurity on educational attainment, particularly among economically disadvantaged students of color. The report underscores the importance of education in shaping Arizona’s future workforce.

She talked about this year’s MAPA report, which places a strong emphasis on multilingual learners, as they represent a significant focus for Arizona’s future. While Latinos in the state are achieving 30% in literacy and 18% in math, English learners are at just 6% and 4%, respectively. The report aims to shift from a deficit-based to an asset-based approach, highlighting that investing in these students will cultivate the leadership and talent needed for Arizona’s future workforce.

Multilingualism plays a crucial role in sectors like health care, education and tourism, contributing to the state’s economy. It’s not just about English and Spanish; it’s about embracing the power of diverse language skills.

Parra underscored the need for community partnerships to address social factors impacting education. Expecting schools to solve poverty while educating children is an impossible task. Parra explained ALL In Education calls on community partners to support schools and families to ensure student success.

Learn more on their website, allineducation.org/mapa.