Latinos and Representative Bureaucracy Testing the Thompson and Henderson Hypotheses1

This paper examines the ability of Latino teachers and administrators to serve as active representatives for Latino students. Using twelve school districts in Florida, this study provides strong evidence for active representation. Thompson's (1976) hypothesis that street-level bureaucrats are more likely than upper-level bureaucrats to serve as active representatives is supported by the analysis. Also supported by the analysis is Henderson's (1979) hypothesis that a critical mass of administrators of one group is needed before one can expect administrators actively to represent the interests of a minority group.