DOJ Reaches Settlement with Florida School District

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Palm Beach County School District in Florida have reached a settlement agreement following complaints that the school district discriminated against immigrant families.

The department had been investigating complaints that the school system failed to enroll children based on their immigration status and that its disciplinary actions discriminated against students based on their immigrant status or limited English proficiency.

The Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society and the Florida Equal Justice Center filed the complaints against the district in August 2011, the Florida Sun Sentinel reported, saying that two teenagers were not able to register at Boca Raton High School because they lacked documents. The department had also investigated complaints that immigrant children and ELLs were suspended and arrested for offenses that were minor and not violent.

About 20,000 ELLs are district students.

In a statement, Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, said that the agreement would remove barriers to student enrollment, and promote an inclusive environment.

The district must agree to enroll all students, no matter their immigration status. The district must provide translation services during the enrollment and disciplinary process.

The Justice Department has previously cautioned school districts that they must enroll undocumented immigrant children who reside within their boundaries, due to the Supreme Court’s Plyler v. Doe decision.

School district spokesman Nat Harrington told the Palm Beach Post that the district was happy to reach an agreement.

“We remain committed to treating all of our students fairly regardless of their language, backgrounds or their parents’ status,” he said.

- “Justice department finalizes pact with PBC School District to end bias in discipline, registration policies,” The Palm Beach Post.

- “Justice Department Reaches Settlement with School District of Palm Beach County, Fla.,” U.S. Department of Justice.

- Plyler v. Doe Video History.

Philadelphia Program Builds Bridges With Latino Youth

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A Philadelphia after-school program known as Puentes Hacia El Futuro (bridges toward the future) is targeting working with Latino children who are English Language Learners in kindergarten through sixth-grade, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The program was created in 2010 through the nonprofit group Puentes de Salud, which operates a medical clinic and promotes health and wellness in South Philadelphia’s Latino immigrant community.

College and graduate students mentor and tutor students three times a week at the Southwark School in the Philadelphia school district. Many of the students are from Temple University. There are 57 students and 100 volunteers. Parents are also offered the opportunity to take English classes on campus.

This year the school has about 545 students, about 27 percent of whom are Latino.

Steven Larson, a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School who is one of the founders of Puentes de Salud, believes that the education program plays a role in improving public health. He points out that there are “social determinants of health,” such as language, that can impact wellness.

The program began when a medical student approached him with the idea.

“A lot of doctors say, ‘It’s not my problem,’” he told the Inquirer. “I beg to differ. It certainly is.”

What role do you think that healthcare organizations can play in helping school districts?

- Puentes Hacia el Futuro

- Puentes de Salud

- Southwark School Profile

Bilingual Counselors In Demand in California Schools

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Finding enough Spanish-speaking teachers can be challenging enough for school districts. So filling bilingual needs among the counseling ranks may be an expensive afterthought for school administrators.

However, bilingual counselors do help schools connect with students and immigrant parents.

New America Media recently reported on the need for more bilingual counselors in California schools.

School psychologist Esther Marquez, who works at Patriot High School in the Jurupa Unified School District, recalled how students often use Spanish when speaking with her. Four of the high school’s six counselors are Spanish speaking.

“It helps them connect,” she told the news outlet.

“Being Hispanic, students can identify with me,” she added. “Sometimes when they can’t find the right word, they know they can tell me in Spanish.”

A recent survey of 1,200 California voters by The California Endowment–a private statewide health foundation–found that 84 percent of respondents supported increasing the number of counselors in schools.

Do your schools have any Spanish-speaking counselors? If not, who assists when parents or students are not English proficient?

- “Celebrate National School Counseling Week by Putting More Counselors in School,” The California Endowment.

ACLU Considers Lawsuit Over California’s Treatment of ELL Students

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A recent report by two civil rights groups asserts that more than 20,000 California public schoolchildren who are English language learners are receiving no language services, and threatens a lawsuit if no action is taken to remedy the situation.

The American Civil Liberties Union of California and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center collaborated on the study, which was released last week, and sent a letter to Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and the California State Board of Education demanding changes. They gave them 30 days to deliver a plan.

“The children who are neglected today, in schools with no EL services, become the long-term English learners of tomorrow, sometimes struggling their entire school careers without anyone stepping in to make sure they have the tools to learn,” Jessica Price, staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, said in a news release.

The district with the most students not being served, according to the report, is the Los Angeles Unified School District, with 4,150. As the Los Angeles Times reported, ELLs make up a quarter of California students, of which about 85 percent are U.S.-born. The civil rights groups want improvements such as better monitoring of programs by the state, sanctions on districts that are not providing services, and that the districts create a plan to improve instruction if sanctioned.

The state responded that 98 percent of the state’s ELLs are receiving services and that progress has been made in delivering better instruction to English learners.

“Despite the enormous financial strains of recent years, California has made dramatic progress in seeing that all English learners receive appropriate instruction and services,” education official Karen Cadiero-Kaplan said in a statement, according to the Times.

- “Students struggling with English not getting help, report says,” Los Angeles Times.

- “ACLU Warns it Will Sue CA Over Under-served ELL Students,” New America Media.

- “Lake Elsinore: School district refutes ACLU claim,” The Press-Enterprise.

Spanish Signs Spark Controversy at Elementary School

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

School officials should consider the following story a cautionary tale about what happens when a message becomes lost in translation. It also illustrates the importance of educators having adequate Spanish translation services.

The Milford School District in Delaware came under fire recently for several signs posted outside two elementary school playgrounds. In English, they warned that parent or guardian supervision was required for use of the playground equipment and to “play at your own risk.”

In Spanish, they carried a more intimidating message. They informed parents that “un permiso”–a permit–was required to play on the site and warned that violators would be subject to police action.

The signs have been posted for the past year. But they only drew attention when a local radio talk show Dan Gaffney host posted photos of them on his Facebook page.

“I think Milford schools are trying to keep ‘certain ethnic’ people away,” he wrote. “Shame.”

The post stirred up online outrage. As a result, Milford schools superintendent Phyllis Kohel and her husband personally removed them last Sunday.

Kohel called the signs inappropriate and that she understood why people were upset.

“We expect people to use our playgrounds anytime, without any special permission,” she told the Milford Beacon. “That’s what they’re here for.”

Kohel added that at the district’s middle and high school athletic fields, signs in English and Spanish warn that permits are required and violators could be subject to police action. There are no such signs in English at the elementary campuses, however.

“Those signs make sense at soccer sites,” Kohel told The Daily Times. “They don’t make sense at a playground.”

Some residents were disturbed by the incident and worried about the impact on the schools’ relationship with the Hispanic community. About 16 percent of the city’s residents are Latino.

“In that year, I wonder how many Spanish-speaking parents brought their kids to that park, then turned around and left with the feeling that they weren’t wanted,” resident Margaret Reyes told The Daily Times.

How does your school district handle translating information to English to Spanish? Do they use professional translators or bilingual staff?

- “Controversial Milford school playground signs removed.” Milford Beacon.

- “Delaware: ‘Threatening’ signs removed at Milford schools.” The Daily Times.

Catholic Schools Add Dual-Language Classes

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

While many public schools offer bilingual classes, not much is written about what Catholic schools are doing. Some are beginning to implement programs that reflect their substantial Latino student populations.

The News Tribune reports that Holy Rosary School in Tacoma, Wash., recently launched a new two-way language program known as Academia Juan Diego. The school began with preschool and kindergarten students, and will expand to older grades in the coming years. The students are a mix of native English and native Spanish speakers.

Three days a week students learn in Spanish, and two days in English. They even pray in both English and Spanish at the beginning of the school day.

“We wanted to serve Hispanic students, and we wanted to increase our ministry and reach out to Hispanic Catholics,” principal Tim Uhl told the newspaper. “This is the future of the church.”

Last fall, St. Mary Star of the Sea School in Connecticut became the first Catholic school in the state to offer dual-language classes in English and Spanish. St. Procopius School in Chicago has had a dual-language program for more than 15 years.

Catholic schools have had an interesting relationship with bilingualism. Many churches now hold Spanish-language masses. When my mother was a child attending Catholic schools in San Antonio as a child, she wasn’t allowed to speak Spanish.

But in the book the Strange Career of BIlingual Education in Texas, 1836-1981, author Carlos Kevin Blanton describes how Catholic schools along the Texas-Mexico border in cities such as Brownsville and El Paso, and historically offered bilingual classes in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

How are Catholic schools instructing limited English proficient students in your area? Do they offer bilingual programs or instruction all in English? What are the outcomes for the children?

- “Catholic education about to go bilingual.” The Day (Connecticut).

- “Improving Bilingual Service Delivery in Catholic Schools Through Two-Way Immersion.” Marquette University (2010).

- “The Strange Career of Bilingual Education in Texas.” (Excerpt).

California Adult English Classes Vulnerable to Budget Cuts

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

School district administrators often talk about wanting to increase Latino parent involvement. Drawing immigrant parents in by offering English classes can create a gateway for future involvement by building a bridge between school and home.

But faced with the task of finding places to trim the budget, such classes can be an easy cut to make. Stateline, the news service of The Pew Center on the States, recently highlighted how a once-thriving adult English program in California vanished.

A program offered by the Oakland Unified School District that once served 14,000 people four years ago now serves only 320.

“Districts are so desperate for funds just to take care of their basic mission that they’ve had to make these horrible decisions,” Christian Nelson, Oakland’s head of adult and career education and president of the California Council for Adult Education (CCAE), told Stateline.

The Los Angeles school district offers just 200 English classes, and they often have long waiting lists to get in. The budget was four times larger four years ago.

A study released last July by the non-profit group EdSource, found that 23 of California’s 30 largest districts have experienced significants budget cuts to their adult education programs since the recession began. Some districts have closed adult education centers. The study reported that the Oakland Unified School District is expected to spend roughly $1 million on adult education this school year, down from $11.7 million in 2008-09.

According to EdSource, ESL classes are the largest adult education program in the state–GED programs rank second.

So how does it impact children when such programs are cut?

A couple of years ago, I wrote about a suburban Dallas school district offering ESL classes to parents. Many of the mothers I interviewed said they wanted to learn English so they could help their children with their homework, and expressed feeling helpless to assist them with schoolwork without English.

Does your local school district offer English classes to immigrant parents? And has the enrollment grown or dropped recently?

- “At Risk: Adult Schools in California.” EdSource.

- California Council for Adult Education

Denver Schools Reach Agreement on ELLs

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Denver Public Schools officials have hammered out a modified consent decree that makes changes to how the school district’s more than 36,000 English language learners are taught.

The Denver Post reports that the agreement with the Congress of Hispanic Educators includes new changes regarding teaching training, student exit procedures and parent communication. It also orders that a study of the effectiveness of the program for teaching ELLs be completed by 2015.

The decree regarding instruction of ELLs exists because of a desegregation suit first filed in 1974, which eventually led to an agreement 10 years later on ELLs. The district has used transitional bilingual education to teach students.

EFE also reports that the new agreement will require all DPS schools to offer bilingual classes and creates a system to track student progress.

“Today we’re standing on the shoulders of people who fought a long time to guarantee students’ rights,” Kathy Escamilla, education professor at the University of Colorado, told EFE. “But unfortunately, the fight continues.”

- “Agreement on bilingual education in Denver.” Fox News Latino/EFE.

ELL Programs Win Federal i3 Innovation Grants

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Several programs that assist English-language learners have won funding through the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation grant competition.

A total of 20 winners are sharing $150 million. The i3 competition was a part of the 2009 stimulus package. The program awards local school districts, non profit organizations that partner with schools and consortiums of schools. The program seeks to award grant money to applicants that have a record of achieving gains in student achievement.

Education Week’s Learning the Language blog reported on the news, and highlighted some of the winner that are helping ELL students:

- Texas A&M University won up to $15 million to focus on developing student literacy interventions for kindergarten through third grade Spanish-speaking ELLs. The university is partnering with 25 Texas school districts.

- Jobs for the Future won up to $15 million to implement Early College High School in three school districts with substantial ELL populations–two in South Texas and one in Colorado.

- West Ed won up to $15 million to design a math program to be used to teach children in the early grades. A parent program in Spanish adn English will also be offered to parents. Many of the California school districts working on the project have a large ELL population.

- The Intercultural Development Research Association won up to $3 million to grow its PTA Comunitario program, which emphasizes the importance of college completion for ELLs . The program operates in Texas schools.

- The California Association of Bilingual Education won a grant to create a parent-engagement program targeting Spanish-speaking parents in four California school districts.

- The California League of Middle Schools will follow a group of ELLs from the sixth grade through the 10th grade, while focusing on student and parent engagement.

- Investing in Innovation Fund.

Miami Prepares For Impact Of Common Core Standards On ELLs

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

School districts around the country are scrambling to phase in the Common Core State Standards. The consensus seems to be that more teacher training and professional development is needed, especially because the new standards are much more rigorous.

But are districts considering their English language learner population as they phase in the changes?

I recently wrote a piece about how the Miami-Dade Public Schools are trying to address how the changes will impact ELLs. The district held training about the common core and ELLs for 200 teachers in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program over the summer. In addition, the school district has developed pacing guides for teachers that include notes on how lessons can be adapted for ELLs.

“We are modeling for the teachers how to make the instruction very explicit and very concrete,” said Beatriz Pereira, executive director of bilingual education and world languages at Miami-Dade. “The standards are extremely high.”

In Miami, the common core standards have been implemented in kindergarten through third grade. Miami-Dade has about 70,000 ELL students district wide.

Some teachers feel there needs to be more training on how to teach ELLs–not just for ESOL teachers, but also for core subject area teachers and teachers who are not solely dedicated to teaching ELLs.

“The common core standards for ELLs sound great,” said Gustavo Rivera, a history teacher at Miami Springs High School and member of the Hispanic Educators Committee of the United Teachers of Dade. “It’s all very nice until you get to the area of application. How do you apply them? That, to me, is the most worrisome.”

You should ask your local district about the training they are offering to teachers on the common core–and if any time is spent addressing how the standards impact ELLs. Is the school district putting time into addressing the group?

EWA hosted a conference last week about the impact of the common core on ELLs along with the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University’s ”Understanding Language” initiative. Click here to view videos from the seminar. To read tweets from the conference, look up the hashtag #ewaell.

- Understanding Language. Stanford University.

- Colorin Colorado

- Council of the Great City Schools.

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