By Mike Greife,
June 3, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO - Luis Córdoba, a member of the Superintendent’s senior cabinet as
the Executive Director of Student Intervention Programs for the Kansas City Public
Schools, will bring his powerful message of the importance of helping people of all
ages overcome prejudices and stereotypes as the keynote speaker for the UCM Learning
Day June 15.
He will teach how to break the mindset of self defeat and the cycle of self destruction
in order to achieve success at the noon luncheon in the UCM Student Recreation and
Wellness Center. All UCM faculty and staff are encouraged to register to attend the
professional development program, designed to provide an opportunity to further the
campus community's dedication to providing an inclusive environment with engaged-learning
opportunities focused on student success.
Abandoned by his father, Córdoba’s life journey began as a baby in his mother’s arms
as she crossed the border from Mexico into southern California. He was raised in poverty
among some of the toughest gangs in East Los Angeles. His early life was filled with
rejection by both cultures. He remembers teachers who filled his mouth with soap to
stop him from speaking Spanish. His own people teased him, telling him to lighten
his skin with flour. He grew up feeling that he did not belong. This inner struggle
with his identity led him to try to wash the “Mexican” out of him.
Córdoba’s mission, as the personality of “The Educated Pachuco™”, is to help people
of all ages overcome prejudices and stereotypes. He teaches how to break the mindset
of self defeat and the cycle of self destruction in order to achieve success. Through
his dramatic presentation, the Pachuco shares his story of perseverance and, by his
example, shows how education is his salvation in life.
Córdoba earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also has a Master of Science in Elementary
and Secondary Education with an emphasis in multicultural urban setting from Kansas
State University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Substance Abuse Counseling from
Ottawa University.
He heads several initiatives modeled targeted to improve the graduation rate in the
Kansas City Public Schools. These initiatives include working with the City Council
of Kansas City, Mo., and the assistant city prosecutor in implementing a city truancy
ordinance. He also collaborated with the Jackson County Family Court to create “Success
Court,” a program to reduce truancy and school dropout. He also works with local agencies
to secure health-related grants to provide student behavioral and mental health support
as a way to improve student learning. All of these initiatives were completed at no
cost to the school district.
Córdoba is an internationally certified and state-licensed substance abuse counselor
with more than 27 years of experience using bilingual and bicultural skills with Latino
youth and their families. He is a former member of the U. S. Attorney, Western District
of Missouri, Gang Assessment Task Force and volunteers his time teaching race relations
at cadet classes for the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. He is the personality
of “The Educated Pachuco,” an advice column published in the Kansas City Hispanic
News. The column is targeted to the concerns of teenagers and their families. As a
result of his wide-ranging experiences, Córdoba has been an invited speaker in over
300 national presentations.
Cordoba is a former member of the Missouri Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
He served as an adjunct professor of multicultural studies at UCM and as a national
consultant on the Safe Schools Healthy Student Initiative, managing 10 major public
schools in a 10-state region area. He has served with a variety of national organizations,
including as the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, Boston,
Mass.; State Justice Institute-U.S. Office of Juvenile Programs; and the Juvenile
Drug Court Focus Group, American University, Washington, D.C. He also has served as
a consultant for the Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency
and Prevention, Washington, D.C.
