Rosario E. Hernández
Rosario E. Hernández is the Senior Education Policy Analyst at the Latino Policy Forum, where she contributes to the development and advancement of early childhood through 12th-grade education policy, with a focus on improving outcomes for Latino and English Learner (EL) students. In this role, she advocates for high-quality educational opportunities, informs local and state policy strategies, and identifies opportunities for systemic improvement to better serve diverse communities.
Rosario leads the Forum’s Acuerdo network, a coalition of Chicago’s largest early childhood providers, and serves as a key liaison to external partners and stakeholders. She plays a central role in conducting policy research and analysis, developing tools and resources for EL stakeholders, and advancing strategic engagement efforts to elevate family and community voices in education policy. Her work includes advocating for bilingual educator workforce development, strengthening family engagement strategies, and creating culturally and linguistically responsive programming that has reached thousands of families.
Prior to joining the Latino Policy Forum, Rosario was deeply engaged in advancing community-centered initiatives across Chicago. Raised in La Villita, she brings a deep, personal understanding to her work. Her lived experience fuels a strong commitment to systems change and ensures that the voices of those most affected are reflected in policy and practice. She began her civic engagement at a young age, participating in initiatives like the Chicago Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, the National Council of La Raza Youth Program, AmeriCorps, and LULAC. These early experiences shaped her lifelong dedication to addressing systemic inequities, particularly in education and mental health. Over the years, she has worked to expand opportunities for families through roles at Instituto del Progreso Latino, Little Village High School, and the Boys and Girls Club. Guided by the belief that every family deserves access to quality education and opportunity, Rosario continues to elevate community voice in systems change and policy work.
Rosario holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University. She is a Barbara Bowman Leadership Alumn and has served on several state and city-level education committees. Through her work, Rosario is committed to building inclusive, equity-driven education systems that honor the cultural and linguistic assets of Latino and multilingual families.
