In Arizona, the Raza Studies program in the Tucson Schools is again being attacked by state officials for its work to support/inspire/retain Latino students in particular. Here's a letter I wrote in June 2009 to the *Arizona Daily Star* after a visit to the classroom of one of the program's teachers:

"I visited a Raza Studies class at Tucson High during a professional visit to the University of Arizona. I was impressed by the caliber of the teacher's instruction and by the level of critical thinking skill that he demanded. In an inspiring discussion of literature, the teacher asked students to take multiple perspectives on social problems and to build their skills in analyzing literary narratives. Why squash excellent instruction? This teacher should be replicated, not removed."

I've described his teaching since. What the teacher did particularly well was engage students in discussion of literary concepts by making connections to issues that students were familiar with. Students stayed attuned throughout to developing their academic skills, and the teacher urged students repeatedly to think carefully about complex issues to which there is no right answer. There were also non-Latino students participating actively in the course.