Sergio Keck came to the United States from Argentina when he was 14. He didn’t want to leave his friends, to learn another language, to start fresh. More than 20 years later, he’s using that understanding to build new programs and awareness as the Lansing School District’s bilingual education director.

Leaders hope changes this school year, including more language classes for students and more communication options for parents, will make a difference for families with the most limited English. That’s why he implemented longer, more intensive sequences of English language classes in more schools. For example, Everett now offers two hours each of basic and more advanced English as a second language classes every day, compared with only one hour daily last school year. Two middle schools, Pattengill and Otto, introduced or increased ESL classes this fall. Meanwhile, all of the district’s literacy teachers continue training on how to teach English-language learners. Among other things, they work to prevent kids from feeling embarrassed when they must start with basics typically learned in elementary school.

click here for article

search for : bilingual education, English language classes, English as a second language, ESL, English-language learners

bookmark this article to your choice of sites