‘I’m super proud.’ Hmong students celebrate Fresno Unified’s new deputy superintendent
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Mao Misty Her last week was named second in command at the Fresno Unified School District, a position that makes Her the highest-ranking Hmong public school official in the nation, according to FUSD.
Mallie Ntxawm Yang, a junior at Fresno’s Edison High School, said Her’s appointment was an important milestone for a community that feels underrepresented in American society, from schools and politics to popular entertainment.
“I’m super proud to have Mao Misty Her as FUSD’s Deputy Superintendent. Being Hmong immigrants who just arrived in America not too long ago, there isn’t much representation of the Hmong community in society,” Yang said.
The central San Joaquin Valley is home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the country. Hmong students are the second largest group of English Learner students after Spanish speaking students.
In a brief statement last week, Her said she was excited about the new leadership opportunity.
“I lead with compassion, creativity, courage, and a commitment to collaboration so we can strengthen and revitalize our connection with parents and communities. I want to ensure their voices are what is helping to transform our system to best serve our students,” Her said.
Her received her primary education at FUSD after immigrating with her family to the Fresno area. She received her Masters of Education at Fresno State and began her career in education at FUSD as a Bilingual Instructional Aide. She climbed through the ranks over the years was working as a school principal before her most recent promotion.
Superintendent Bob Nelson said he was “excited to have her serve in this crucial role.”
“I can’t think of anyone more fitting to serve alongside me in the role of Deputy Superintendent. We actually became Fresno Unified principals at the same board meeting in the Spring of 2004 and have continued serving our community for several decades,” Nelson said in the statement.
In a recent Education Lab listening session, Hmong students from Fresno and Clovis said their experience felt “erased” from education due to a lack of Hmong history and ethnic studies classes. They said they’d like to have campus mentors who understand Hmong culture and the pressures young people face.
“I think this milestone will be very beneficial to Hmong students,” Ntxawm said. “Especially when it comes to learning about the language and culture. Applying for classes, I’ve always noticed the comparative of Hmong classes to other ethnic classes. If there’s one thing I hope Deputy Superintendent Her empathizes, it’s the improvement of Hmong study classes. Maybe a 3-year Hmong language class, then a Hmong Studies class. I would love to see that.”
Major deadline looms for Fresno Unified students heading back to school
Time is running out for parents interested in sending their kids back to Fresno Unified classrooms.
Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 16) is the deadline to let your child’s school know whether they plan to return to in-person learning part-time or remain home for more distance learning.
Click here to view the district’s online Parent Selection Form.
In a recent live Q&A event hosted by The Bee’s Ed Lab, teachers from Fresno said they were looking forward to seeing how many students sign up to return to classrooms. You can watch the informative discussion here.
In Clovis Unified, which has already reopened classrooms for part-time hybrid instruction, about half the district’s 43,000 students have returned. About 21,010 students are on the CUSD hybrid program, and about 21,645 remain exclusively online, according to district spokesperson Kelly Avants.Proud moment for Hmong students with appointment of new Fresno Unified deputy superintendent
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This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 10:05 AM.