A Study of Primary Schools in the Elias Piña Province on The
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Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont CGU Theses & Dissertations CGU Student Scholarship 2012 A Study of Primary Schools in the Elias Piña Province on the Dominican Haitian Border: Immigrant Haitian Access to Education in the Dominican Republic in the 2010 Post-Earthquake Era Matthew .D Kaye Claremont Graduate University Recommended Citation Kaye, Matthew D., "A Study of Primary Schools in the Elias Piña Province on the Dominican Haitian Border: Immigrant Haitian Access to Education in the Dominican Republic in the 2010 Post-Earthquake Era" (2012). CGU Theses & Dissertations. Paper 17. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/17 DOI: 10.5642/cguetd/17 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the CGU Student Scholarship at Scholarship @ Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in CGU Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship @ Claremont. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A study of primary schools in the Elias Piña province on the Dominican Haitian border: Immigrant Haitian access to education in the Dominican Republic in the 2010 post- earthquake era By Matthew D. Kaye A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Claremont Graduate University and San Diego State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Faculties of Education Claremont, California San Diego, California 2012 Approved by the Dissertation Chairs Dr. Alberto Ochoa, Co-Chair Dr. William Pérez, Co-Chair San Diego State University Claremont Graduate University Professor Associate Professor © Copyright Matthew D. Kaye, 2012 All Rights Reserved. APPROVAL OF THE DISSERTATION COMMITTEE This dissertation has been duly read, reviewed, and critiqued by the Committee listed below, which hereby approves the manuscript of Matthew D. Kaye as fulfilling the scope and quality requirements for meriting the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Faculties of Education. Dr. Alberto Ochoa, Co-Chair San Diego State University Professor Dr. William Pérez, Co-Chair Claremont Graduate University Associate Professor Dr. Karen Cadiero-Kaplan San Diego State University Professor Dr. Thomas Luschei San Diego State University Professor Abstract A study of primary schools in the Elias Piña province on the Dominican Haitian border: Immigrant Haitian access to education in the Dominican Republic in the 2010 post- earthquake era By Matthew D. Kaye Claremont Graduate University and San Diego State University: 2012 The research question of the study asked ―In the post 2010 earthquake, what are the conditions faced by Haitian immigrants in accessing primary public education in the Dominican Republic‖? Within the context of primary education, the study takes place in the town of Comendador, the capital of the Elías Piña province in the Dominican Republic. Using a mixed methods approach, incorporating ethnographic methods and database analysis, the study documents the voices of Haitian and Dominican parents, Dominican school personnel, non-governmental organization (NGO) officials and community stakeholders. Within the construct of access, there are six areas of focus: educational policy, curriculum and instruction, professional development and resources, parent involvement, intercultural communications, and praxis. Data collection tools included field notes, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, analysis of the Latin American Opinion Project (LAPOP), and analysis of a household composition database. The findings of the study indicate six themes: (1) educational policy, Dominican law provides Haitian children with school registration, yet school officials are allowed the flexibility of adherence; (2) curriculum and instruction, using a national curriculum, teachers are not providing a comprehensible education to Haitian students; (3) professional development and resources, teachers recognized the need to make instruction meaningful for Haitian students; (4) parent involvement, undocumented Haitian parents did not feel safe at school sites; (5) intercultural communications (ICC), educators‘ behaviors towards Haitian immigrant children and parents demonstrated empathy, yet lacked more advanced levels of ICC and, (6) praxis, there was an absence of advocates for Haitian. In the case of stakeholders and educators in Elías Piña the study suggests that, for the most part, few had the experience and background to understand the complexity of Haitian immigrant students and families who expressed living in fear of the authorities, suspicion of who to trust, and despair with regards to living day to day. While education for their children was seen as a positive need for survival in the Dominican Republic, Haitians‘ lack of understanding of the Dominican educational system leads to the perception that Haitian immigrant parents were not engaged in the education of their children. Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to Tess. Her commitment to seeing a better Hispaniola through a compassionate lens and intellectual rigor accompanied me from inception to end. Her dedication to me, as a wife and fellow researcher, has brought me through the darkest of hours to a place of hope. The magnitude of her contribution is greater than I could ever return. In memory of Papa Turner, Papa Kaye and Tweedie White – I wish that each of you had the opportunity to see me complete this work. Acknowledgements The research presented on these pages is the culmination of collaboration amongst many scholars, idealists, citizens, activists, friends and family. Each individual played a unique role that made this work complete. The dedication each offered inspired me as I traveled the long and arduous road that led to ―crossing the Rubicon.‖ Sincerest gratitude is extended to Professor Ochoa for his support, guidance and intellect that he has given freely and unselfishly. Professor Ochoa‘s mentorship is a model for me to carry throughout my career. I am very fortunate to have been advised and guided by him during my doctoral studies. As co-chair of the dissertation, Professor Ochoa provided intellectual insight and an academic divining rod that allowed me to reach farther and deeper into the canyons of data that overwhelmed the individual abilities of this researcher. ¡Mil gracias y hasta la luz! I am duly grateful to Dr. Gerald Murray who initiated the idea of the study. Dr. Murray‘s expertise and commitment to the anthropology of Hispaniola paved many roads I needed to travel. Without question or denial, the trust and commitment of the dissertation committee, Professor Ochoa, Professor Pérez, Professor Kaplan-Cadiero and Professor Luschei, had in my research and ability to come through in the end will always be held closely. I keenly appreciate the role and contributions of each. The multi-faceted support of Ms. DonnaMarie Fekete is worth more than I can adequately express. From beginning to end, DonnaMarie‘s intellect, wisdom and insight was the muse I needed. Her keen eye in reviewing my writings is a testament to her vii talent and adaptability. On many fronts, she is more deserving than she will ever be recognized. Many thanks to my family for believing that this degree had an end and that the end could be reached. My family‘s support over the years, and during my time along the Haitian Dominican border, demonstrates the endurance of love and how it guides us to reaching points of accomplishment that are beyond the reach of a single hand. During the final leg, the support I gained from my friends and fellow potters in Gainesville, Florida were central to me passing through the finish line. Their unselfish willingness to listen to my lived experience and believe in my abilities to move forward was invaluable. There are many anonymous individuals in Elías Piña, both Haitian and Dominican, to whom are deserving of significant acknowledgement. Their commitment to the research question and my well-being is a light of hope in a place where many feel despair. viii Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Dedication .......................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... vii List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xiii List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xv Chapter One: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................. 1 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 3 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................. 3 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 6 Context of Study ........................................................................................................... 7 Ethnographic Approach .............................................................................................