This week something popped up in my google alerts that peaked
my interest titled Speaking Mam in MAGA
country: Immigration, education and the teenage boy in the middle. Imagine
my surprise when I started reading about the very town I work and live in. It
was an article all about Chambersburg, PA and how the local schools struggle to
meet student’s needs. Although it doesn’t paint my town as a perfect or
picturesque place to live in, it shows the very real struggle many students
have when moving to a new country.
It begins by telling us the story of Fredy Garcia who is in
11th grade and who is in danger of dropping out of school. It goes
through why his family and he had to flee their country and the struggles they
face now. He is not making adequate progress, falling behind the other students
and no longer enjoying school. “Sometimes, the teachers explain things and I
don’t understand. When I ask something, all the students laugh and joke,” the
sophomore said. (Doesn’t that just break your heart!)
They also discussed the growing number of students we have
in the ESL program. While this number has doubled, only one addition ESL
teacher has been added. The Chambersburg Area School District’s biggest
challenge, said Superintendent Dion Betts, is “adjusting more quickly to the
people who are coming.”
One part of the article, which brings me great pride, is the
local Agape English ministry at our church. It is run by Sue Marshall, a retired
literacy coach for the school district. This program started out being
available to locals who want to learn English and has grown into teaching
individuals to read as well.
Although it’s a bit lengthy the article is a great read and
I highly recommend. Learn more about Fredy and our hometown of Chambersburg
here. There's even an audio that goes along with the article for easy listening.
Hi Taryn,
ReplyDeleteThis article shares an issue in Guatemala that many are not aware of in America. Indigenous people have been facing threats and violence from gangs and corporations for years causing many to flee the country. And even though Fredy is able to find safety in America with his family, he also faces new challenges. With a quickly expanding immigrant population, the school district in Chambersburg is unable to keep pace with the type of needs their students have. This problem as well as addressing the mental health needs of students is become more and more common in districts across the country. There has been a rapid increase in student need for school psychologists, counselors, and social workers but school districts tend to have only a few employed and are slowly hiring additional personnel. Funding, as identified in the article, is often times the culprit for districts not being able to make changes faster. Having community groups and outside programs available to students and their families that can work alongside the schools to provide support is one way that can help address this problem and come up with creative solutions. Though schools are held responsible by law to serve all students no matter their language, they should not be the only institution in the community to provide help to students and their families.