Prompted by increased enrollment for newly arrived students, many schools are realizing how unprepared they are to welcome newcomers into their communities. Advocates for these families have asserted that the influx of new families in Denver will force schools to implement the necessary reforms to support those families. However, I’m skeptical that the increase will lead to any long-lasting changes because there are other challenges facing schools that need to be addressed first. Yes, it’s crucial that schools facilitate newly arrived students’ acclimation to the school community, and provide age-appropriate, engaging curricula that are accessible regardless of English-speaking skills. Without a doubt, teachers should be extolling the values of participating in a democracy. And yes, new students and their families must be able to connect with teachers and school staff regardless of linguistic differences. But, if we want to meaningfully enact these important changes across the board, then we first have to lay the foundation for those provisions to stand on, and that starts with hiring more teachers & supporting education at the ballot box.
Above all, schools need to employ high-quality teachers. If we want to accomplish any reforms, then districts must begin with hiring experienced, multilingual teachers and educators – heavy emphasis on the multilingual aspect. Unfortunately, students who are new to the United States bear the brunt of the burden when their teachers are unable to communicate with them, and when that barrier exists, the quality of their educational experience drastically drops. For six years I taught 7th grade English in DPS, and I often taught newcomers who spoke a language other than English. It was a uniquely difficult aspect of the job. It was not because teaching newcomers required me to spend extra time planning lessons and group activities. I say it was difficult because I couldn’t help my students fully engage with their learning.
The uptick in migration has put a spotlight on this dilemma, but it’s not a new one. It’s infuriating that reforms we seek today could have been enacted already if our leaders had countered the lack of educational equity decades ago.
The language barriers have social and emotional impacts on the students as well. It was heart-wrenching to see a newcomer student panic over an incomplete assignment because there wasn’t enough time in class to use Google Translate while working on the assignment. It was crushing to find them alone at their desk staring at a blank worksheet instead of working with a classmate because they fear slowing their classmates down. It’s unacceptable for language barriers or citizenship statuses to effectively block a student from learning while their peers have the opposite experience despite being in the same classroom.
Building a robust system for accommodating linguistic diversity starts with hiring a multilingual staff. Staffing multilingual teachers will offer newcomers legitimate academic support as well as provide a point of contact for their families. Additionally, schools must hire more administrative staff whose focus will be on supporting newly arrived families and their students as they get settled in the community.
Lastly, schools need strong support from the community and lawmakers. Since 2009, Colorado lawmakers have withheld over $10 billion from its schools to cushion the state’s budget against a future economic downturn. Providing adequate resources to our schools must be a high priority, even in tough times. Schools make the world go ‘round – doctors don’t just wake up one day with the necessary medical knowledge to treat patients. If our lawmakers can’t wrap their heads around that fact, then it’s time to vote for candidates who can. The state recently approved a $500 million increase in education funding over the next six years, but that’s only a drop in the bucket considering how little schools were given for the past 15 years.
The policies advocates for migrant families desire represent a compassionate and altruistic outlook on what our schools can be. Many see the increase in migration to the Denver area as an inevitable jolt to the education system, however, that’s not a realistic view. Reforms seldom happen overnight; they require small victories. Hiring quality teachers, and backing schools by voting for candidates who prioritize education are two smaller, but more achievable, goals that will benefit newcomers while also laying the foundation for future reform.
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Alex Boeding is a former teacher with 6 years of experience. He will begin law school this fall at CU Boulder. He has an M.A. in Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice from CU Boulder as well.
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