If you live in the United States and are familiar with only one decision handed down by a court of law, it’s probably the U.S. Supreme Court case known as Brown v. Board of Education. Specifically, that would be young Linda Brown, only nine years old when she sued her local Board of Education for sending her to an all-black school a mile and a half from her house, when there was a perfectly good white school right around the corner. But did you know this racial discrimination did not occur in the Deep South? It occurred in Topeka, Kansas, out on the Great Plains, halfway to California. And guess what? Race-based school segregation extended the rest of the way to California, as well. In fact, it was in 1931 that another young student, 12-year-old Roberto Álvarez, sued the Lemon Grove, California, Board of School Trustees for trying to separate him and 74 of his Mexican-American classmates from their Anglo classmates and send them instead to a “new” school that they and their parents considered no better than a caballeriza, or horse stables. Roberto won that case in San Diego County Superior Court, making it the first successful school desegregation case in U.S. history. In fact, it served as the earliest precedent for the Brown decision 23 years later. Listen as we tell the story of Álvarez v. Lemon Grove, one of the most important court cases in U.S. history that most people have never heard of.

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In this episode, we visit with Ishtar Rosario Medina, whose educational and personal journey has spanned Puerto Rico, New York City, Mississippi, New Mexico, and now Minnesota. She was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the tradition of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Manhattan and Queens. At the age of 7, she returned to the island. Six years later, her path took an unconventional turn when her father implemented his idea of "homeschooling": enrolling her in his college courses at the University of Mayagüez. At 13, she was majoring in physics.

Despite often excelling beyond the levels of her older classmates, Ishtar dropped out and began a series of moves across the U.S. with her father, from central Florida to community college life in rural Mississippi, to several years as a substitute teacher in Hattiesburg—all while raising her oldest child. Inspired by her mother’s love for New Mexico, she later relocated to Albuquerque, where, after 12 years of accumulating college credits, she completed a BA in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and TESOL at the University of New Mexico. She briefly taught 4th grade at a local charter school.

A spontaneous trip to the Mall of America over Thanksgiving vacation in 2024 led to her current role teaching U.S. History in Spanish and Spanish Language Arts at the high school in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

As a lifelong bilingual learner, parent, and educator, Ishtar brings a rich perspective to discussions of bilingual education. Listen, enjoy, and learn from the stories behind her remarkable journey.

We also discuss SUP and CUP, which, in case you're wondering, are not acronyms for Stand Up Paddle and Conditional Use Permit!

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In this episode of Language Goes to School, we speak with Ina Montoya, lifelong educator, proud Jicarilla Apache (father’s side) and Navajo (mother’s side), and tireless advocate for the revitalization of Indigenous education in general, and Indigenous languages in particular. After years of teaching in the Dulce Independent School District of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Ina recently served as the district's superintendent, a term that culminated in being named the 2024 Administrator of the Year by the New Mexico Association of Bilingual Education. She is currently the principal of Lybrook Elementary and Middle School, located conveniently—and, more importantly, in perfect familial and geographic balance—between the traditional lands of the Jicarilla Apache and Navajo Nations in northwestern New Mexico. No matter the role in education she fills, Ina applies the warmth, humor, and dedication from every circle of her life to her efforts to promote high-quality Indigenous and language education. Consistent with her lifelong history of learning, Ina is currently pursuing a doctorate in Missiology. And if you’re wondering how she finds a proper work-life balance within her busy schedule, it’s easy: Ina is an accomplished fiber artist, specializing in crochet, knitting, and quilting. In this episode, we ask Ina about many of her talents and interests. In response, she weaves an instructive narrative about the importance of language, education, identity, and community for all who take the time to listen. We also discuss informal (BICS) and formal (CALP) registers of language.

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