Texas: Grand Prairie school district teaching English to immigrant parents, kids

[Harold Schiffman]

Grand Prairie school district teaching English to immigrant parents, kids

09:30 AM CST on Sunday, February 3, 2008
By STELLA M. CHÁVEZ / The Dallas Morning News
schavez at dallasnews.com

Blanca García has heard the complaints about immigrants not learning
English, and she agrees.


MICHAEL AINSWORTH/DMN
Blanca García practices how to ask for and give out phone numbers in
her adult ESL class at Grand Prairie High. Not content to rely on
their children for English translation, more immigrant parents are
learning the language. Now, she's enrolled in an English as a second
language class for adults at Grand Prairie High School. When her
children pull out their homework to study after dinner, Mrs. García's
right there with them, studying new words and grammar, too.  The
García family represents a growing segment of the population –
immigrants struggling to learn a new language. Like the Garcías, many
parents and children are learning together and, in some cases, being
taught by the same teachers.

"It's very frustrating, especially when you go to the doctor or the
pharmacy," said Mrs. García, 39. "You have to learn English."
Mrs. García said she is determined to prove the critics wrong. For
one, she volunteers daily at Bowie Elementary, where her children go
to school. Interacting with teachers and other parents affords her the
opportunity to practice her English.  Something else has happened,
too. She's helped recruit other immigrant parents to volunteer at the
school. Together, they often talk about the challenges and successes
they've had adapting to life in a new country.

Like other school districts, Grand Prairie is now offering computer
classes for parents as well as English language instruction, an
attempt to engage parents who in turn can engage their children in
school. The district's efforts do not go unnoticed by Mrs. García and
other volunteer mothers. "Here, they offer classes and give us free
books and a free nursery," Mrs. García said one morning while making
photocopies for a teacher. "What more do we want? We're not always
going to get by with 'I'm sorry, I don't speak English.' "

She also does not want to constantly rely on her 10-year-old daughter,
Brenda, to translate for her. "When I was little, it was kind of
difficult, but now it's easier because I understand more," said
Brenda, the oldest of three children. Because Brenda doesn't have
trouble speaking English, she has taken on a leadership role for her
two siblings, Bryan, 8, and Angel, 7. "My brother usually tells me,
'What does this word mean?' So I help him," she explained. "But not
much," Bryan chimed back. "Sometimes she would scold me."

Brenda pointed out that she merely wanted to make sure her brothers
pronounced their words correctly. As often happens in immigrant
families, Brenda has already begun forgetting some Spanish.  As she
read a book about planets to her mother, she struggled to explain the
word "rotate."  Mrs. García quickly figured out the word means "rota"
in Spanish. Similar scenarios play out on most nights as mother and
child end up teaching each other. The boys are no less curious about
their mother's education, sometimes peppering her with questions.

"¿Qué tienes de tarea, Mom?" Bryan asked his mother one night, using
Spanish and English words.

He wanted to know what she had for homework that night.

"Leer," Mrs. García responded, using the Spanish word for "to read."

Bryan stands over his mother's shoulder making sure she reads out
loud. When she's done, he tells her to read again.

Rosalinda García, no relation to the family, teaches the family's
youngest boy, Angel, and taught Mrs. García last year. She has a
unique perspective by teaching the younger and older generation. She
said she is struck by the children's enthusiasm over their parents'
schooling.

Among their comments:

"Mi mamá hace su tarea." – My mom does her homework.

"Mi mamá ya está hablando inglés como yo." – My mom is speaking
English like me.

She is also struck by the parents' commitment. Some bring their
children and leave them in the day care the district provides. One
student drove nearly two hours from Waco twice a week to attend
classes.

Another student, a mechanic by day, showed up with grimy nails and
clothes that smell like oil.

"Forgive me for coming like this, but I don't want to miss class,"
Rosalinda García recalled him saying.

Federal funding for adult education programs peaked in 2002 at $591.1
million. Today, $567.5 million goes toward those programs nationally.
Of that, $67.9 million goes toward English literacy and civics
education. Texas receives about $5.47 million.

Some worry funding cuts will threaten English language classes, making
it more difficult for immigrants to learn the language. ESL teachers
say the demand for such classes is evident given the waiting lists
many of these classes have.

"Given the increasing share of immigrants in American labor force and
society, the need for policies to help them acquire necessary English
skills should be a no-brainer," said Jeanne Batalova, a policy analyst
with the Migration Policy Institute. "Yet the task remains one of the
most difficult as quality and affordable services are far and few
between and spending in many social and educational programs goes
down."

In Arizona, the crackdown on illegal immigrants has made it harder for
them to enroll in English language courses. In 2006, voters there
approved Proposition 300, which requires that students enrolling in
adult education prove they are in the country legally.

Such measures have not hit Texas, but education officials are aware of
the sentiments against illegal immigrants.

Joanie Rethlake, state director of Texas LEARNs, said there is no
requirement to ask whether a student enrolled in adult ESL is here
legally. But she said she is occasionally asked that question.

Mario Herrera, assistant principal at Grand Prairie High School and
coordinator of the EL Civics Program, said the more the parents can
learn English, regardless of their status, the better off their
children will be.

This year, he had to add an additional class and hire an additional
teacher to accommodate some of the 35 students on the waiting list.
Five people remain on the list.

A total of 280 students are enrolled in the classes, including 24 high
school students. He knows of two students who attend classes with
their father.

"They're all working together, and a lot of my students, even if
they're not in the program, they invite their parents," Mr. Herrera
said. "I'm not going to turn them away if they want to be in the
program – first come, first served."


-- http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/020308dnmetadultesl.3242a8e.html
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