Camilla Forte/Borderless Magazine/Catchlight Local/Report for AmericaInspired by her mother’s involvement in her education in Mexico, Maria Leticia Toribio is advocating for the safety and support of immigrant families in Chicago Public Schools.
For Maria Leticia Toribio, “Letty” to community leaders and friends, showing up for her students means listening and understanding them.
Letty, who was born in Mexico, learned that at a young age.
As a student, Letty watched her mom work in school fundraisers. She joined her for meetings and stepped in when her mom couldn’t attend.
News that puts power under the spotlight and communities at the center.
Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates twice a week.
Letty then moved to the United States and started her own family.
When her daughter started school in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Letty became an involved parent for decades, becoming a parent mentor at her child’s school. Although her daughters finished school, she says she wants to see improvements in academic environments.
Borderless Magazine spoke to Letty about her experience as a community leader and what inspired her to volunteer and advocate for students and policies through parent leadership.
Early education and the call to volunteer
I was born and raised in Mexico and studied only until elementary school. My mom was always involved in my education. I enjoyed seeing her involved because I thought my mom saw school as something important.
Volunteering in schools in Mexico is different. They also have a school board, but parents would meet with the principal for the school’s financial necessities. We once had overcrowded classrooms and I would see my mom with other parents planning Kermesse, which are dinners and dances to fundraise.
We would have bands playing music, parents selling food and doing activities for students.
The funding would create new classrooms, fix our fields and replace old chairs. I was never in the new remodeled classes since they were for younger students, but I’m glad that my siblings had that experience.
Sometimes my mom was unable to attend the parent meetings because of work, so my sister and I would go for her. We would listen and share the information with my mom. Afterwards, she would take action and share her opinions.
Moments like that shaped my perspective. I started believing that people need to fight for what they need as an individual or community.
Becoming a community leader
When my eldest daughter started school, my neighbor invited me to attend a parent meeting by Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI). I wasn’t interested even though she kept inviting me. Then, one day she mentioned that they offer free bread and coffee — and I love coffee.
I attended the meeting with my youngest daughter. Once they started asking questions about community and leadership, I gained interest.
I became a parent mentor in my kid’s school. Parent mentors help a grade level in classes or the cafeteria for a year.
It is exciting and moving to serve my kids and other students, who are also like my own.
There is one student I will never forget from when I was a parent mentor in my kid’s school for the seventh graders — a group I had never worked with before.
I was in the cafeteria where a group of students were having lunch. They left their table a mess despite them not eating the food, so I calmly asked for help to clean up their space for the next group. This student got close and he lashed out at me.
I was hurt and humiliated, but did not want the student to get kicked out of the school or suspended, which would harm his education. I contemplated on what to do for days.
I approached the student the next time I saw him. I told him I was there for him to release any strong emotions he had. And if he needed any support, he could find me in the classroom for parent mentors. Later that day, he went to the office to apologize. He shared details of his home life and family struggles.
At that moment I realized that students are not bad. They just go through difficult situations and don’t have a place to let it out, which turns into violence or acting out.
I tried to help him and offer support, but he mentioned how the support in school was more of an authority figure than a safe space. His story only motivated me to become more involved in school as a parent.
I also worked with other parents at times. We would work on activities with groups of kids. They would tell us that when they have kids, they will do the same thing. They liked the activities we did and that we understood them.
I am not involved as much because all of my kids have graduated, but I still attend meetings every now and then. By being involved, parents demonstrate to their kids that school is important and kids will do the same.
People in my community still recognize me. Once, I was walking around Hermosa and saw a group of teenage boys. All of a sudden one of them came running at me and started screaming my name until he reached me.
It’s nice to see how students, after graduating, are grateful for the impact parents have. I am still trying to help out despite no longer having kids in CPS.
The upcoming school board election
I remembered when my daughter started high school, I was surprised to see security in the schools with their cop uniforms. I think that school is a place to learn and not a prison. I don’t want to have School Resource Officers (SROs) in the school buildings.
That led me to work with other parents and organizations like COFI and POWER-PAC on a Whole School Safety policy (WSS). The policy was passed in 2021 for supporting schools. In 2024, WSS became a district-wide policy and we aim to have this policy active in all CPS campuses.
We heard feedback from students and parents to understand what students need to succeed. We realized that there are three pillars that students need: physical, psychological and relational support to thrive in schools.
Today, as the Chicago School Board election approaches, the most important thing right now for us is that the candidates take into consideration student safety.
Apart from that, we also want parents to be aware of the upcoming school board election.
This October, we have planned to make a bilingual forum of the candidates for the community to learn more about the candidates and the election. A lot of our community members cannot vote in this election, so we are hoping to talk with those who can.
Immigrant parents are not here to cause any damage. We do what many U.S. citizens don’t and we care for education not just for our own children, but for all of them. We want safe spaces for the community.
This story is part of Borderless Magazine’s three-part series Beyond The Classroom highlighting the experiences of parents, students and educators navigating the intersections of immigration, education and civic life.
The story was produced with support from Press Forward — an initiative investing in local news and information — and uses Borderless Magazine’s collaborative as-told-to method. To learn how we make stories like these, check out our as-told-to visual explainer.
Samantha Monje is a Northwestern University journalism student and Pathways intern for Borderless Magazine. Contact Samantha at [email protected]
