Archives and Special Collections
92 Snell Library
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2351
archives@neu.edu

Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

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Collection Overview
Title:	Escuelita Agueybana Day Care Centers records
Dates:	1978-1996
Location:	60/1, 60/4
Call Number:	M116
Volume:	5.15 cubic ft. (6 boxes)
Scope and Content Abstract:	The Escuelita Agueybana (Escuelita) collection documents the first bilingual day care center in Massachusetts to serve primarily Hispanic children and their families. The records date from 1978 through 1996 and cover research topics, such as bilingual and multicultural education, Head Start programs, Hispanic American child day care, and child nutrition and health. The records specifically document the centers' curriculum development, services for children and families, parental involvement in establishing center policies, and efforts to comply with federal and state child day care regulations. This collection includes the records of the executive directors; agendas and minutes of the Board of Directors, Parents Policy Council, and Health Services Advisory Council meetings; proposed merger plans with IBA; federal and state child day care agency correspondence; and progress, transition, and status reports. Also included are minutes and reports of program directors meetings, staff meeting minutes, newsletters, proposals, grants, and contracts. The records are mostly in English with some Spanish interspersed.
Historical Abstract:	In 1976, a group of parents living in Villa Victoria in the South End met to discuss the need for day care in their neighborhood. These parents, who were in the process of becoming economically self-sufficient, established Escuelita Agueybana, the first bilingual day care center in Massachusetts to serve primarily Hispanic children and their families. With funding from the City of Boston Public Welfare Department and Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) acting as its fiscal agent, the center opened its doors on West Dedham Street in 1978. Escuelita was a Head Start program, a national program that provided comprehensive educational services to low income preschool children and their families. Incorporated in 1981, Escuelita opened another center in Dorchester in 1985. From 1993 through 1996, Escuelita experienced a succession of interim directors, and received several compliance violations from federal and state funding agencies, and the United Way. Beginning in 1994, Escuelita started restructuring and discussing the possibility of merging with IBA. The Board of Directors voted to merge with IBA in 1995; however, the loss of funding and the inability to hire a permanent executive director caused the Board of Directors to vote to close both centers in 1996 before the merger was completed.
Arrangement:	Organized into 6 series: 1. Governance; 2. Administration; 3. Executive Directors; 4. Program Components; 5. Grants and Contracts; and 6. Photographic Material.
Subjects and Contributors:	Cornier, Agnes-Tamara Fisher, Louis Levine, Mark Rosa, Marta Sariol, Lourdes Escuelita Agueybana Day Care Centers. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children, Youth and Families. Education, Bilingual -- Massachusetts -- Boston -- History Head Start programs -- United States Multicultural education -- Massachusetts -- Boston Hispanic American children -- Services for -- United States Day care centers -- United States Children -- nutrition Health promotion
Restrictions:	The collection is unrestricted.
Related Materials:	Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (M111)
Processor:	Finding aid prepared by Kimberly Reynolds, with the assistance of Zachary Enright and Megan Cox, July 2006. This collection was processed with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.




Historical Note
In 1976, a group of parents living in Villa Victoria in the South End met to discuss the need for day care in their neighborhood. These parents, who were in the process of becoming economically self-sufficient, established Escuelita Agueybana, the first bilingual day care center in Massachusetts to serve primarily Hispanic children and their families. With funding from a City of Boston Community Development Block Grant and with Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) acting as its fiscal agent, the center opened its doors on West Dedham Street in 1978. Escuelita was a Head Start program, a national program that provided comprehensive educational services to low income preschool children and their families, and that required parents be directly involved in the development, operation, and direction of the program. Escuelita's bilingual programs were designed to foster the growth and development of pre-school children and to build self-esteem by promoting the value of each child's language and culture. Mornings were dedicated to practicing pre-reading and number skills, and the afternoons were time for special activities that included music, dance games, and home economics. Programs included special education and health and nutrition. The curriculum included classes in behavior management, motor skill development, cultural awareness, language, pre-writing, reasoning skills, hygiene, manners, and healthy eating habits. Incorporated in 1981, Escuelita opened another center in Dorchester in 1985. Each center had slots for 58 children from the ages of 2.9 to 6 years. The centers were opened 12 months a year for ten hours a day, and priority was given to children whose parents were either working, in a job training program, or in school. Parental support was an essential element of Escuelita's philosophy that the center "had to be governed by a group of individuals interested in the problems and issues surrounding children and day care services" (United Way Affiliation Proposal, Box 2, Folder 49). Parents served on both the Board of Directors and the Parent Policy Council and were also active in other ways, including protesting against cutbacks in state funding for day care in the early 1990s. In 1983, the Board of Directors voted that Escuelita should be financially independent of IBA. At the same time, Escuelita became an affiliate of the United Way. Since Escuelita's beginning, IBA sought to build a permanent home for it in the Villa Victoria Community Center. In the late-1980s, when the South End Center was under investigation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office for Children Licensing Center, IBA and Escuelita began discussing the formation of the IBA-Escuelita Agueybana Neighborhood Child Care Project (Villa Victoria Child Care Project). The project was designed to serve 100 children and their families living in the Villa Victoria Community and in the South End; however, the two organizations were unable to obtain the necessary funding for the project. From 1993 through 1996, Escuelita experienced a succession of interim directors, low Board member attendance at meetings, and many compliance violations from federal and state funding agencies, including the United Way. Beginning in 1994, Escuelita started restructuring and discussing the possibility of merging with IBA, and the Board of Directors voted to merge with IBA in 1995. The loss of funding and the inability to hire a permanent Executive Director, however, caused the Board of Directors to vote to close both centers in 1996 before the merger could be completed.

Chronology
1978	Escuelita receives funding from the Department of Public Welfare and the Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation. Day care center opens in May.
1980	Board of Directors is elected.
1981	Escuelita incorporates.
1983	Escuelita becomes affiliate of the United Way.
1985	Escuelita opens second day care center in Dorchester.
1992	Dorchester site temporarily closes and merges with South End.
1993	Escuelita is cited for non-compliance by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children, Youth and Families.
1994	Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) and Escuelita begin discussing possible merger.
1995	Escuelita Board of Directors votes to merge with IBA.Escuelita loses Head Start funding.Escuelita Board of Directors votes to dissolve corporation.
1996	IBA establishes Escuelita Boriken to continue legacy of Escuelita Agueybana.

Chronology of Executive Directors
1978-1986	Cecilia Hunt
1986-1989	Agnes-Tamara Cornier
1989-1990	Rosario Guiterrez
1990- Mar 1993	Lourdes Sariol
Mar 1993-Jun 1994	Louis Fisher
1993-Jan 1995	Mark Levine (Co-Director)
1994-Jan 1995	Marta Rosa (Co-Director)
Feb 1995-1996	Carlos Diaz (Executive Director)





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Series:	1. Governance, 1978-1996
Volume:	1 cubic ft.
Arrangement:	Alphabetical
Summary:	This series documents Escuelita's curriculum planning and program development, parent recruitment and involvement, health advisory policies and procedures, and Escuelita's recovery efforts concerning non-compliance violations from the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and from the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Human Development Services Head Start Office. Records include by-laws; agendas and minutes of Board of Directors, Health Services Advisory Council, Parent's Policy Council and Escuelita annual meetings; executive director reports to the Board of Directors; corrective action and recovery plans; and executive and finance committee reports. Of note is the Head Start Parent's Policy Council Handbook, which includes policy interpretations and member's roles, functions, and responsibilities (Box 1, Folder 28).
Box	Title			Date
1	Annual Meetings: Agendas and Minutes			1986-1995
1	Board of Directors (5 folders)			n.d., 1990-1997
1	By-laws			n.d.
1	Community Meeting: Recovery Plan			1994
1	Correspondence (3 folders)			1988-1993
	Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program
1		Massachusetts: Compliance (2 folders)		1990-1995
1		United States
1			Corrective Action Plan	1994
1			Follow-up Review	1995
1			On-site Program Review Summary Report	1995
1			Validation Response	1990
1	Escuelita Status Report			1993
1	Financial Committee			1988
1	Fiscal (4 folders)			1987-1992
1	Health Services Advisory Council Meeting Minutes (3 folders)			1987-1993
1	Parent Policy Council (4 folders)			1987-1996
1	Recovery Plan: A New Way of Doing Business			1994
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Series:	2. Administration, 1978-1996
Volume:	2 cubic ft.
Arrangement:	Alphabetical
Summary:	This series documents the daily operations of Escuelita's South End and Dorchester centers, including staff training and development in nutrition, special needs and team building; restructuring planning; health and safety policy implementation; and compliance with federal and state funding agencies regulations. Records include correspondence and compliance reviews from the United States Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program and from the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program, meeting minutes, United Way affiliation proposal, newsletters, and newspaper clippings. Staff folders include teacher qualification standards; teaching and center schedules; job descriptions; and agendas and minutes of staff, teacher, and program directors meetings. Materials related to outside organizations document the programs and services of organizations with which Escuelita collaborated, such as Action for Boston Community Development, the New England Resource Center, and the YMCA. These records include a listing of community resources, classroom information, and meeting minutes. Of special interest are the Policies and Procedures manual, which provides a concise history of Escuelita, program goals and structure, and daily activities schedule (Box 2, Folders 17-18); the United Way Affiliation Proposal, which includes a history of Escuelita, program description, objectives, and fee schedules (Box 2 Folder 49); and Escuelita's Corrective Action Plan (Box 2, Folder 61). Also of interest are the Felin Development Screening Test Manual, which was designed specifically for Esquelita Agueybana (Box 1, Folders 62-65); Five in Massachusetts: Profiles of Diversity, which features Escuelita (Box 2 Folder 22); the Directory of Bilingual Immersion Programs (Box 2 Folder 21), which provides a concise overview of Escuelita and its programs; and the building logs, which include the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office for Children Licensing Center's investigations (Box 1, Folder 10).
Box	Title			Date
1	Agreements (8 folders)			1989-1991
1	Brochures			n.d.
1	Building Logs			1992-1994
1	Child Care Career Consortium			1990
1	Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Affairs: Statistics			1985-1988
1	Compliance Response			n.d.
1	Consultants (2 folders)			n.d., 1987
1	Day Care Closing: Press Conference			n.d., 1991
	Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program
1		Massachusetts
1			Meeting Minutes	1990
1			Nutrition Component	n.d., 1990
1		United States
1			Compliance Review (2 folders)	1995
1			New Disabilities Standards	1993
1			Nutrition Counts Report	n.d., 1995
1			Performance Standards	1984
1			Reports	1987-1990
1			Resident Protest
1			Review	1993
1	Dorchester Meal Service: Sponsor Review Form			1989-1990
1	Eligibility Requirements			1990
1	ETC Developers Incorporated Lease Agreement			1985-1987
1	Events			n.d., 1987
1	Feilin Development Screening Test Manual (3 folders)			1986
1-2	Fiscal (12 folders)			1987-1994
2	Health Screenings			n.d, 1989-1992
2	History			n.d., 1992
2	Human Services Risk Management Exchange: Evaluations			n.d.
2	Newsletters			1988-1995
2	Newspaper Clippings			1987-1995
2	Outside Organizations (4 folders)			n.d., 1987-1995
2	Parent Information (3 folders)			1992-1993
2	Policies and Procedures (4 folders)			n.d., 1986-1995
	Reports
2		Directory of Bilingual Immersion Programs (National)		1987
2		Five in Massachusetts: Profiles of Diversity		1987
2	Safety Guidelines and Health Regulations			1991
2	South End Data: Boston Department of Health and Hospitals			1995
2	Spanish Origin Census Tracts			1980
2	Staff (23 folders)			n.d., 1990-1995
	United Way
2		Affiliation Proposal		1983
2		Site Visit		1994
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Series:	3. Executive Directors, 1986-1995
Volume:	1.75 cubic ft.
Arrangement:	Chronological by director
Summary:	This series documents the activities of the Executive Directors, including the development and implementation of corrective action plans; fiscal management and management of regulatory mandates, including health, physical, building, fire, and safety; curriculum planning and development; site visits made by Escuelita to other Head Start programs, and site visits made to Escuelita by the United States Department of Health and Human Services; and the Villa Victoria Child Care Project. Records include correspondence to and from Executive Directors and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Youth and Families and the Massachusetts Office of Human Services Office for Children regarding compliance violations, site visits, and conditions for continued refunding; Escuelita's responses to non compliance violations and corrective action plans; restructuring plans; and transition, status and final reports from executive directors to Board of Directors.
Box	Title				Date
	Cornier, Agnes-Tamara, 1985-1990
2		La Alianza Hispana (2 folders)			1985-1987
2		Budget			1986-1987
2		Consultant Correspondence			1986
2		Fiscal (2 folders)			1989-1990
2		Metropolitan Boston Child Care Network: Meeting Minutes			1988-1990
2		Villa Victoria Child Care Project			1987-1988
	Guiterrez, Rosaria, 1989-1990
2		Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program: Massachusetts			1987
	Sariol, Lourdes, 1990-1992
2		Boston Public Schools Meeting Notes			n.d., 1991
2		Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program: Massachusetts
			Corrective Action Plan		1992
2-3			Non-compliance / Site Visit (3 folders)		1992
3		Executive Director's Report to Board of Directors			1990
3		Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation (2 folders)			1991
	Fisher, Louis, 1993-1994
3		Elton and Associates: Escuelita and Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center Correspondence			1994
3		Final Report on Escuelita Agueybana			1994
	Levine, Mark, 1993-1995
3		Board of Directors: Meeting Minutes			1995
3		Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program
3			United States
				Compliance	1993-1995
				Corrective Action Plan	1994
				Corrective Action Plan Review	1994
				Funding Sources	1994
				Reports	1994
				Technical Assistance	1994
3		Restructuring Plans			1994
	Rosa, Marta, 1994-1995
		Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program: United States
3			General Correspondence		1994
3			Site Visit Notes		1995
3		Technical Assistance Consultants: Meeting Notes			n.d., 1994-1995
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Series:	4. Programs, 1978-1995
Volume:	1 cubic ft.
Arrangement:	Alphabetical
Summary:	This series documents the planning and implementation of Escuelita's programs, including education, health and nutrition, and special needs. Also documented are activities and events, meal observations, special needs training, and menu and nutrition planning. Records include curricula, workplans, policies and manuals, evaluations, program component director and staff meeting minutes, and menus. Of special interest are the Educational Services Philosophy and the Education Plan (Box 3 Folders 19, 22, and 24-25).
Box	Title			Date
3	Integration Training			1990, 1992
	Education
3		General		1992-1993
3		Bulletin Board Projects		1994
3		Educational Services Philosophy		1992
3		Field Trips		1992
3		Final Report		1994
3		Objectives		1992
3		Plan		1986
	Health and Nutrition
3		General		1989-1995
3		Activities (5 folders)		1991-1996
3		Food Storage Inspection		1992
		Head Start
3			Nutritionists	1993
3			Health Advisory Committee Handbook	1974-1975
3		Health Coordinator (2 folders)		1989
3		Lesson Plans		1995
3		Meal Observation		1992-1993
3		Meeting Minutes		1990-1995
3		Memos		1992-1994
3		Menu Evaluations		1993, 1995
3		Menus (17 folders)		1989-1995
3		Mental Health Services: Meeting Notes		n.d., 1992-1993
3		Mental Health Planning		1995
3		Non-compliance Response		n.d.
3		Nutrition Goals		1995
3		Program Plan		1992-1995
3		Response to January 1995 Review: Consultant report		1995
3		Screening Report		1991, 1993
3		Workplans		1991
	Special Needs
3		General		n.d., 1992-1993
3		Brochure		1992
3		Individual Education Plans		1987-1990
3		New England Resource Access Project: Speech Language Workshop (3 Folders)		1989-1993
3		Outreach / Recruitment		1991-1993
3		Special Services Outreach Notes		1992
3		Supervising People with Moderate Special Needs: Meeting Minutes		1990
3		Staff Training		1992
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Series:	5. Grants and Contracts, 1979-1994
Volume:	2.5 cubic ft.
Arrangement:	Alphabetical
Summary:	This series documents the government and private sources from which Esquelita sought funding for its operations. Funders include the City of Boston Public Facilities Department, Massachusetts Department of Education and Social Services, Massachusetts Department of Education Bureau of Nutrition, United States Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program, and United Way. Records include budgets, correspondence to and from Executive Directors and funders; audit, final, and quarterly reports; and basic day care utilization reports. Proposals include supporting material, such as program descriptions and activities, newspaper clippings, newsletters, and United States Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program performance standards. Of special interest is the 1978 Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare proposal which provides a concise description of Escuelita (Box 5 Folder 43).
Box	Title			Date
3	Bank of Boston			1987-1990
3	Boston Company			1987-1989
3	Boston Foundation			1988-1989
3	Boston Globe Foundation			1988-1989
4	Child Care Choices of Boston			1990-1992
4	Child Care Resource Center			1989-1992
4-5	City of Boston (35 folders)			n.d., 1986-1993
5	Clipper Ship Foundation			1989-1994
	Commonwealth of Massachusetts Rate Setting Commission
5		Purchase of Senior Budget: Dorchester		1989
5		Purchase of Service: South End		1989
	Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program
5		Massachusetts		1986
5		United States
5			General (19 folders)	1983-1995
5			Financial Assistance Award	1995
5			Non-compliance Report	1990
5	Goldston Foundation			1988-1989
5	Hovey Trust Fund			1987-1988
5	Marion Decrow Foundation			1994
5	Massachusetts Bureau of Education Social and Mental Health Services: Daycare Program Questionnaire			1988
5	Massachusetts Department of Education (11 folders)			n.d., 1985-1993
5	Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare			1979-1994
5-6	Massachusetts Department of Social Services (20 folders)			1984-1993
6	New England Telephone			1988-1989
6	Office of Child Care Services: Proposal			1999
6	Parker Foundation			1985, 1988
6	Peabody Foundation			1988, 1994
6	Pepsi Cola Bottling Company			1988-1989
6	Physical Education: Proposal			n.d.
6	Polaroid Foundation			1988-1989
6	Prudential Insurance			1991
6	Raytheon Company			n.d., 1988-1989
6	Riley Foundation			1986-1988
6	Shawmut Bank			1994-1995
6	State Street Bank			1988-1989
6	United States Department of Education: Head Start			1992
6	United States Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs: Proposal			1988-1989
6	United Way (10 folders)			1986-1991
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Series:	6. Photographic Material, 1979-1988
Volume:	1 cubic ft.
Arrangement:	Alphabetical
Summary:	This series contains photographic images that document various aspects of Escuelita, including events, activities, programs, students, and staff members. The bulk of the material documents Escuelita's activities, such as field trips and celebrations. Classroom activities are also documented. Of special interest are the Three Kings Day celebration and the parent protest against day care closings.
Box	Title			Date
	Activities
6		Birthday Parties		n.d.
6		Field Trips
6			General	n.d., 1981
6			Apple Picking	n.d.
6			Boston Commons	n.d.
6			Fair	1984
6			Harvard Museum of Natural History	n.d.
6			Plimoth Plantation	n.d.
6			University of Massachusetts Boston Picnic	1984
6			USS Constitution	1984
6		Limbo Party		n.d.
6		Meals		n.d., 1982, 1987
6		Performance Troupe		1979
6		Play Time		n.d., 1980-1982
6		Playground		n.d, 1978
6		Puppet Show		1984
7		Swimming		n.d.
7		Traveling Zoo
	Celebrations
7		Chinese New Year		n.d.
7		Halloween		n.d., 1988
7		Thanksgiving		n.d., 1979
7		Three Kings Day		n.d., 1987-1988
7	Class Pictures			1981-1989
	Classroom
7		General		n.d., 1979
7		Music Lessons		n.d., 1979-1987
7		Naptime		n.d., 1980
7		Organized Activities		n.d., 1979
7		Story Time		n.d.
7	Dorchester Center Playground			1988
	Events
7		Day Care Closing Parent Protest		n.d.
7		Graduation		n.d., 1978-1991
7	Group Photos			n.d., 1979
7	South End Center			1980
	Staff
7		General		n.d., 1979, 1984
7		Activities		1983, 1987
7	Student Portraits			n.d., 1979
7	Unidentified (2 folders)			n.d., 1979-1988
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Archives and Special Collections 92 Snell Library 360 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115 (617) 373-2351 archives@neu.edu

Archives and Special Collections Finding Aids

Printable Finding Aid. Back to Browsing Version.

Series:

1. Governance, 1978-1996

Series:

2. Administration, 1978-1996

Series:

3. Executive Directors, 1986-1995

Series:

4. Programs, 1978-1995

Series:

5. Grants and Contracts, 1979-1994

Series:

6. Photographic Material, 1979-1988

Archives and Special Collections
92 Snell Library
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2351
archives@neu.edu