Efforts to help Asian community navigate the public school system brought Montgomery County schools Superintendent Jerry Weast to Potomac last week.
“This will help students succeed for years to come,” said School Superintendent Jerry Weast at a press conference at Cabin John Middle School on May 22.
Weast introduced a new publication, “Working Together!” a booklet describing county school programs.
“What’s powerful about this is information,” said Donna Shimoda Hollingshead, principal of Cabin John.
The brochure is part of a series of outreach books developed in the past three years. Previous booklets were targeted at the African-American and Hispanic communities in the county.
This particular booklet targets the Asian community. As such, it is available in Cambodian, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. “They will be sent out to every parent whose child checks this is the language they speak at home,” Weast said.
Members of various Asian communities from the county were present to comment on the book.
“I’m very thankful that Montgomery County translated this book,” said Natalie Shhuan, President of the Cambodian Community Association of Maryland.
It is hoped that the booklet will allow families access to opportunities they did not know about previously.
“I assure you, there is a way to pursue the American Dream,” said Kwang Lee, chair of the Korean American Education Foundation.