Verónica Velázquez: Why Family Involvement Matters

I want to say that all parents and students from our community are welcome to express their concerns and ideas. Our district needs our voice and we need to partner with them for the best educational outcomes... the job is not easy but also is not impossible! We are all together in this!

Verónica Velázquez is the mother of six students who are attending Richfield elementary, middle and high schools from kindergarteners to seniors! “My kids and I are lucky to be in this school district. We feel that our needs are being heard and the schools are doing as much as they can to accommodate the needs of our kids,” said Verónica.

Verónica works as a patient advocate at Neighborhood HealthSource, a community clinic where she helps anyone who needs access to medical care to sign up for the clinic discount, navigate insurance, schedule services and organize family planning meetings. 

As a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic, Verónica wasn’t able to be home with her children as much as she wanted to, and she struggled with helping her kids during distance learning. But, she said, the help she received from Richfield Public Schools during this time was invaluable. 

“I’ve had some academic challenges with my elementary-aged kids, and the school staff worked hard to provide us with what my kids needed,” said Verónica. “I strongly believe that our district leaders will continue to decrease the learning gap — with our help as parents.” 

In addition to attending conferences and school events, Verónica is a member of the Richfield Latino Family Association (RLFA), which in her words, is “a group of parents with a mutual interest in our kids' education and academic success.” She said she joined the group to advocate for more academics and extracurricular opportunities for students. “As a parent, I encourage you all to participate actively in our schools,” she said, “and get involved in any way that you are able to. Show your kids that you care about their education and that you will be there for whatever is needed, whenever they need it.”

The mission of the Richfield Latino Family Association (RLFA) is to improve communication between Latino families and the school district by creating a strong and respectful relationship so we can motivate students together to achieve their dreams of obtaining a college career. If you want more information about the RLFA, send your questions by email to AsociacionFamiliasRichfield@gmail.com or by text to 612-926-8759.

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