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Martha Zaragoza-Diaz, advocate and lobbyist for CABE & CalTog to retire in December

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We extend our congratulations to Martha Zaragoza–Díaz on her upcoming retirement and thank her for 25 years of advocacy on behalf of our English learners. Martha has been focused on what is best for students and their families. She is not only our hero, but a hero for future generations of ELs! We wish her the best in the next chapter of her life.

“Martha is courageous, dedicated and fearless and we could not have accomplished what we have these past twenty five years without her,” said Martha Hernandez, Executive Director of Californians Together.

She has achieved many important policy and legislative victories for our children and their families while confronting the barriers of hostility and racism from individuals and our education and political systems. Nothing has deterred her from continuing to fight.

“Martha continuously teaches all of us how to raise our voices in front of policy bodies and in the halls of the State Capitol,” said Shelly Spiegel-Coleman, Californians Together’s Strategic Advisor.

Just a few of Martha’s accomplishments:

  • The passage of over 20 laws establishing the primary language assessment, the State Seal of Biliteracy, definition and services for Long Term English Leaners, El teacher credentialing, content standards alignment to ELD standards, expansion of dual immersion and biliteracy programs and more.
  • Major budget and policy initiative including the adoption of the English Language Development Standards, revision of Reading First restrictions on bilingual programs, $60 million for supplemental ELD materials, $5 million for the Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program.

INDEPENDENT STUDY RIGHTS FOR STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA

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During the 2021-22 school year, parents and guardians can choose to have their children return to school for in-person instruction or enroll in distance learning through “independent study.”

California schools will no longer have to offer a “distance learning” option to students as they did during the 2020-21 school year. Most county offices of education and school districts instead must offer independent study to certain students who need to engage in remote learning, including students whose health would be at risk by returning to school in-person. For decades, independent study was an optional program that California school districts, county offices of education and charter schools could provide to students. However, to accommodate families’ desire for distance learning, the state recently changed the law to expand who can enroll in independent study and improved certain aspects of it for the upcoming school year and into the future.

To help parents, guardians, and children figure out what learning option is best for them, we are publishing a guide that explains their rights to distance learning through independent study for the 2021-22 school year. The guide also includes other information families should know at the beginning of the school year, including certain student privacy rights and information for English learners, students with disabilities, and foster youth.

The know-your-rights guides, as well as short printable versions and a standalone version of the "10 Key Questions" checklist, are available in English and Spanish here: https://youthlaw.org/case/independent-study-rights/ and https://www.myschoolmyrights.com/distance-learning/.

Sincerely,

National Center for Youth Law
ACLU in California
Children Now
Alliance for Children’s Rights
California PTA
Californians Together
Loyola Law School Youth Justice Education Clinic
Parent Institute for Quality Education
Parent Organization Network
Public Advocates Inc.
Read More

Expanded Learning Opportunity Grants: Recommendations for Making them Work for English Learners

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The COVID relief package that the California legislature approved to support public schools and that Governor Newsom signed on March 5, included $2 billion for In-Person Instruction (IPI) Grants and $4.6 billion for Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Grants. Per CDE, to be eligible for ELO Grant funding, “LEAs must implement a learning recovery program, that at a minimum, provides supplemental instruction, support for social and emotional well-being, and...meals and snacks to specified student groups...who have faced adverse learning and social-emotional circumstances.” These grants can be used to support “extending instructional learning time, accelerating progress to close learning gaps, integrated pupil supports, community learning hubs, supports for credit deficient pupils, additional academic services, and training for school staff.”

In order to receive their ELO Grant funding allocation, the governing board of a school district must approve an ELO Grant Plan at a public meeting on or before June 1, 2021. In a year in which  many English learners (ELs) have faced significant learning loss, it is critical that these funds are used strategically to close gaps as effectively as possible. Therefore, to meet the needs of ELs in the implementation of their ELO Grant Plans, school districts should ensure that their expanded learning programs are not traditional, but programs that are engaging, enriching, and joyful. Such programs should incorporate the following components:

  1. Project-based and experiential learning;
  2. Socioemotional learning;
  3. English language development;
  4. Differentiation for different typologies of ELs; and
  5. Culturally and linguistically relevant practices.

This fact sheet describes each of these focus areas and offers examples of how districts have incorporated aspects of these areas. We hope that each of these five areas are included in each district’s ELO Grant Plan so that the needs of ELs are met. 

1) Project-based and experiential learning

As students come back to school, engagement and learning linked to real-world experiences should be a priority. Expanded learning should not be “traditional” or remedial -  it must be an opportunity for students to learn skills and content through projects that incorporate a well-rounded education, including science, math, and the arts. Specifically for ELs, project-based learning and experiential learning that offer engaging language development activities are critical. For additional support, districts should consider partnering with community based organizations to provide enriching opportunities for students, including  adult mentors or counselors tied to practical career experiences in a field of interest. 

To ensure that the needs of ELs are met, district ELO Grant Plans should include project-based and experiential learning by:

  • Ensuring that expanded learning opportunities are centered on projects that build student skills and content knowledge, promote collaboration and language development, and are tied to students’ experiences. 
  • Building partnerships with community organizations that can bring in mentors and role models, and provide experiential opportunities tied to what students are learning. 

Examples of How Districts are Providing Project-Based and Experiential Learning

Los Angeles Unified School District: Summer School for Newcomer Students. The district is offering summer school for newcomer students as a strategy to engage them and prepare them for the regular school year. The district has designed a curriculum focused on project based learning that incorporates language and art. 

Azusa Unified School District: Multidisciplinary Summer Learning. The district will be extending instructional learning time by offering three 12-day sessions of summer learning acceleration for students, with priority enrollment for ELs. Students have the option of attending one, two, or three sessions, as a way of providing flexibility for families who may have other summer commitments. The instructional program is designed to provide ELs with multidisciplinary units incorporating language development. The units also include project-based learning in science, math, social science, and fine arts topics, while  incorporating social emotional development. The district’s goal is to provide a fun, engaging, and collaborative structure for ELs to develop language and accelerate learning, providing authentic opportunities for them to engage in academic discourse around complex questions or problems. To help deliver this and layer funds with 21st Century Learning grants, the district is partnering with Think Together, who currently operates their  community learning hubs and after school learning program. Additionally, the sessions will be offered in Spanish for students in bilingual programs.

2) Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

There is considerable, and mounting evidence that the pandemic has imposed significant stress and trauma on ELs and their families. Therefore, any expanded learning time must first meet the socioemotional needs of students and understand the specific needs of ELs. 

There is still room for improvement in this area as evidenced by our review of Learning Continuity and Attendance (LCP) Plans that districts developed in fall 2020. According to this report, while all districts described plans to provide students with access to social-emotional support, 59 percent did not describe how these supports would be available in the students’ home languages. Moreover, one in four districts had weak or no plans for teachers to incorporate social-emotional learning (SEL) within instruction, while nearly three in four districts did not include considerations for ELs in their professional learning plans meant to support SEL. 

To ensure that the needs of ELs are met, district ELO Grant Plans should support social-emotional learning by:

  • Ensuring that SEL supports are available in the students’ home languages; and 
  • Providing all educators with professional learning for being responsive to student social-emotional needs within instruction, including considerations for ELs.

Examples of How Districts are Meeting SEL Needs

Glendale Unified School District: Counseling Resources for Schools and Families. The district brought on 33 social worker and counseling interns and has two psychological service providers who are assigned to schools. In addition, the district provides virtual counseling services to students through Telehealth and develops weekly mindfulness videos that are posted on the district website and shared with teachers. To reach and support multilingual families, the district has “health parent forums, parent support groups, and parent helplines in English, Armenian, and Spanish.”

West Contra Costa Unified School District: Integrated Homeroom Support During the School Day. Schools conducted SEL surveys of students to establish baseline data and track progress multiple times during the school year. The district also established a “homeroom” advisory period at all grade levels to serve as a central component of distance learning, where “teachers will provide social-emotional learning via a variety of curricular options.” Families of ELs also “receive direct counselor communications, including referrals and access to available resources,” with all information available “with translation or in languages spoken at home.”

3) English Language Development (ELD) Instruction and Assessment

ELs have lost significant learning time, including time for designated and integrated ELD. Therefore a central focus for the ELO Grant Plans must be to provide additional time for these students to receive the ELD instruction and support they deserve. This includes time for designated ELD and professional development for educators to deliver integrated ELD instruction in all core subjects. Providing designated and integrated ELD supports is not only required by law, but also a critical way to keep linguistic and academic development on track.

As evidenced by our review of Learning Continuity and Attendance (LCP) Plans, almost all districts described how they would provide ELD. However, nearly half did not specify weekly time for ELD instruction. Meanwhile, 44 percent of districts had no or weak descriptions for providing evidence-based strategies for integrated ELD support in at least some core subjects (One in nine districts did not mention integrated ELD at all!). Similarly, 22 percent of plans made no mention of professional development to help teachers to deliver ELD services. 

To ensure that the needs of ELs are met, district ELO Grant Plans must ensure designated and integrated ELD, including:

  • Guaranteeing time for designated ELD instruction within the daily lesson plans;
  • Providing materials and evidence-based strategies to ensure that ELs receive integrated ELD supports in all core subjects; and
  • Providing all educators and administrators with professional development to deliver ELD services.

Examples of How Districts are Providing ELD

Calexico Unified School District: Guaranteed Time for Live ELD Instruction. During distance learning, the district specified guaranteed times of live ELD instruction. Elementary ELs received 30 minutes of live ELD instruction four days per week and asynchronous ELD on the fifth day, while most secondary ELs received designated ELD in one of their periods (newcomer students were guaranteed daily ELD instruction). The district also provides ELD intervention classes to ELs who show learning loss, are at risk of becoming LTELs, or are LTELs. These classes are taught by EL Interventions Teachers, who also collaborate with classroom teachers, monitor participation, and connect with parents when the student is not engaged. 

San Diego Unified School District: Educator Support for Designated and Integrated ELD. The district described the delivery of ELD through a “push-in integrated model.” This model builds the capacity of a broad range of educators who work with ELs (including teachers, paraeducators, district resource teachers, education specialists, counselors, and administrators) to deliver effective teaching practices that support ELD. Coaching and a co-teaching model also provide additional support for classroom teachers in delivering designated ELD and planning integrated ELD strategies within content courses.

4) Responsiveness to Different EL Profiles

ELs are racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and linguistically diverse. They enter public school at different ages and with diverse linguistic proficiencies in their native languages and English. This diversity should inform the instructional models and strategies used to support them.

As evidenced by our review of Learning Continuity and Attendance (LCP) Plans, districts are struggling with this differentiation. Half of plans did not mention strategies for supporting Dual Language Learners (DLLs) in preschool, 37 percent did not mention supports targeted for newcomers, and 32 percent had no plans specific to Long-Term English Learners (LTELs).

District ELO Grant Plans should differentiate strategies to meet the specific needs of different typologies of ELs, including:

  • Providing specialized support for LTELs, including ELD support to ensure access to the core curriculum (grades 6-12), attention to oral and writing proficiency, and educator professional development focused on delivering an engaging curriculum that addresses their specific language development needs.  
  • Providing specialized support for newcomer students, including identifying strengths in their home language, level of English proficiency, and basic knowledge of schooling; providing ELD support to ensure access to the core curriculum; and designing lessons that build upon student background knowledge. Counselors and educators should also receive professional development on meeting SEL, language, and academic needs.   
  • Providing multilingual support in English and the home language for students in dual-language programs, including by  assessing the strengths and needs of students in English and their home language, and providing professional development for teachers that includes reflection on how distance learning has impacted academic and language development (in both languages) and strategies for delivering instruction that builds bilingualism and biliteracy.

Examples of How Districts are Responsive to Different EL Profiles

Oakland Unified School District: Newcomer Supports. The district has newcomer teacher leaders at selected schools with a high concentration of newcomers to provide them with small group instruction and support teachers “to embed linguistically and culturally responsive supports.” At the secondary level, newcomer assistants provide instruction to small groups of students. In addition, the district has a staff of 12 newcomer social workers that help address basic needs, such as supporting families to access financial resources.

San Diego Unified School District: Coaching Team to Support LTELs. The district “integrated coaching team” analyzes data “to determine action steps needed to support Long Term English Learners” and other students at risk of becoming LTELs. The district also provides professional development to help teachers with strategies to support this group of students.

Azusa Unified School District: SEAL Summer Bridge Units for DLLs.  During summer 2021, the district is planning for preschool DLLs and TK students to utilize SEAL Summer Bridge Units to continue their SEAL instructional learning program. The SEAL Summer Bridge Units correspond to the project-based units planned for the summer program and reinforce the instructional practice their early learners are receiving during the regular program.

5) Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Practices

Given that many ELs and their families face significant stress or trauma caused by the pandemic, schools must be prepared to engage and support them in culturally affirming ways. As students come back to in-person learning, schools should collaborate more comprehensively with families—including linguistically and culturally diverse families. This means working with families in linguistically and culturally competent ways to build capacity to best help students  succeed. All communications to families should be translated into languages they speak and understand. Ideally, these efforts are led by staff who speak the languages of ELs and their families.

School staff are critical to ensuring culturally and linguistically relevant practices, therefore professional development activities for certificated and classified staff must address elements of cultural proficiency/competency (i.e., cross-cultural interactions, role of culture, and culturally- responsive instruction and curriculum), and address cultural differences in communication patterns and their impact on EL learning and achievement. Additionally, instructional resources and courses should support a culturally responsive environment, including units in Spanish and other languages, supporting the use of students’ home languages, and ensuring that literature and other instructional resources are relevant to the variety of cultures.

As evidenced by our review of Learning Continuity and Attendance (LCP) Plans, this is an area for districts to continue to improve and build partnerships. Over half of plans had no evidence that professional development opportunities would address cultural proficiency or competency. 

To ensure that the needs of ELs are met, district ELO Grant Plans must center culturally and linguistically relevant practices, including:

  • Prioritizing bilingual and culturally relevant/responsive staffing within programs to support better student and family engagement (and when possible, support the development of biliteracy). 
  • Ensure that  certificated and classified staff receive professional development  focused on building cultural competency, and addresses cultural differences in communication patterns and their impact on EL learning.

Examples of How Districts are Incorporating Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Practices

Whittier Union High School District: Building Capacity Through Parent Mentor Program. The district’s Road to Success Parent Mentor Program (also called “El Programa de Padres Promotores del Camino al Éxito Univeritario”), provides comprehensive training for parent volunteers to support ELs and other parents in finding online resources, monitoring grades, and strengthening student  social-emotional well-being. Parent mentors are also tasked with  attending District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) workshops, co-facilitating and coordinating parent events, and serving as ambassadors for the program.

Azusa Unified School District: Camp ABC for TK-1st Grade ELs. Camp ABC helps to acclimate the district’s  youngest scholars to the school environment as well as a chance to learn procedural practices that help them navigate school and the classroom successfully.  Students experience open learning centers, carpet time, as well as visits to the library, cafeteria, office, playground, and health room. The district is extending this offering to rising 1st grade students as they did not experience or benefit from a typical first year of school.

Conclusion

Schooling as we knew it in the past cannot be the same for upcoming summer and fall in-person instruction. The inequities that we knew existed prior to the pandemic have been clearly exposed and  exacerbated. Many ELs and their families have not only experienced lost time interacting with friends and teachers and  receiving live instruction, but many family members have experienced trauma associated with loss and isolation.  We need to re-envision an education system that is responsive to the diversity of EL profiles; delivers instruction and curriculum that is language rich, engaging, culturally responsive; and uplifts the languages and social-emotional needs of our students and families.  It is time to use the resources and creativity within our district and schools to ensure that expanded learning opportunities are joyous and filled with the smiling faces of our students as their voices and laughter are synonymous with their learning. 

Resources to Support Expanded Learning Opportunities Grant Planning

Schools Must be a Place of Healing – We Stand with the API Community

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As schools reopen and students anticipate going back to school, some students are scared and worried about their safety and the safety of their friends and family members.  As we have seen a surge of unprovoked violence, we at Californians Together are saddened and sickened by the hateful speech and disturbing attacks on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our communities.  The deaths in Atlanta serve as a lesson to what years of demonizing the Asian community can cause. We reject those who choose to see our brothers and sisters as less than and fail to see the beauty of their languages and cultures.

 We call upon all districts, schools and leaders to work intentionally to build community with API students and their families. Schools need to be a place of security, safety and support. Schools should not shy away from bringing difficult discussions about anti-Asian hate into our classrooms. In fact, Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) has recently released a lesson plan focused on the recent shootings in Atlanta, and the youth group Student Voice has compiled a list of education resources, including a great post from Educators 4 Social Change entitled “Teaching About Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia” Oakland USD has also launched a webpage with several resources including curriculum resources guides for both elementary and secondary levels to address anti-Asian hate. 

We need to recognize what our students are feeling and experiencing that causes pain, anger and sadness. It is our duty to  honor every child for who they are and what they contribute to our lives, state and nation needs to be a high priority.  We cannot open school without reaching out to those who are hurting and scared.  We stand with the API community against the hatred and violence of the past and present.  Let school be a place of healing for all of us. 

New Report from Californians Together Highlights the Need for School Districts to Prioritize English Learners in their Upcoming 2021-2024 Local Control and Accountability Plans

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The report offers a comprehensive review of 41 school district Learning Continuity and Attendance Plans (LCPs) adopted last fall as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the need for them to prioritize English learners (ELs)—some of California’s most historically marginalized students and among the most impacted by the pandemic.

 

( VIEW / DOWNLOAD THE REPORT )

Long Beach, CA — Californians Together announces the publication of Teaching and Learning During Uncertain Times: A Review of Learning Continuity and Attendance Plans, a new report which draws upon a comprehensive review of Learning Continuity and Attendance Plans (LCPs) from 41 school districts.  The report aims to inform school district decision-making as they develop their upcoming 2021–24 Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs), and highlights the need for them to prioritize English learners (ELs)—some of California’s most historically marginalized students and among the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“In reviewing these plans we were able to identify areas for improvement while also finding promising practices that we hope school districts will use as examples of what can be done. Districts have made progress toward digital inclusion and accessibility, but there are still many inequalities to address—these inequities will only worsen without meaningful commitments from educators and district leadership,” says Martha Hernández, Executive Director of Californians Together. 

In late June 2020, California replaced the 2020-21 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) with the Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LCP) as a response to the pandemic. The purpose was to provide information about how districts planned to invest state resources to address student learning and school safety during the COVID-19 crisis in the 2020–21 school year. The plans, which were drafted with stakeholder input and locally approved by school boards, provide a unique view of how well district approaches to distance learning this year centered equity for ELs and other students. However, while conducting the study, Californians Together did not review the implementation of the activities in the plans. 

The districts included in the study were chosen to represent a wide range of communities and settings across the state. For instance, the selected districts spanned 21 counties and enrolled 27 percent of all California K–12 students, as well as 34 percent of the state’s ELs. Californians Together reviewers rated districts’ LCPs across seven focus areas.  Each of these focus areas was broken up into three to five elements: 

 

  1. Family Collaboration
  2. Continuity of Learning for Equitable Access 
  3. Assessment and Progress Monitoring for Student Achievement
  4. Educator Professional Development (PD)
  5. English Language Development (ELD) 
  6. Responsiveness to EL Profiles
  7. Social-Emotional and Mental Health Support

 

In addition, the report contains recommendations for state policy and local implementation while highlighting what could be addressed in upcoming three-year LCAPs.

 

To read the full report visit: http://caltog.co/lcp

 

 

About Californians Together

Californians Together is a statewide advocacy coalition of powerful organizations from all segments of the education community including teachers, administrators, board members, parents and civil rights non-profit groups. Our member organizations come together around the goal of better educating 1.1 million English learners by improving California’s schools and promoting equitable educational policy.

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Media Contact: Ashley Aguirre ashley@californianstogether.org

PARA INICIAR ESTE AÑO ESCOLAR EN OTOÑO, DEBEMOS MIRAR HACIA ATRÁS

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Un mensaje de Martha Hernández 

La reacción estadounidense a la repentina interrupción de clases en las escuelas públicas a causa de la pandemia Covid-19 desde marzo a junio varió considerablemente a través del país. De la noche a la mañana, los alumnos tuvieron que cambiar su modo de aprendizaje cotidiano, uno cambiando de clases dentro de su escuela, a lecciones a distancia usando algún aparato tecnológico en sus hogares.

Una reciente encuesta nos ha brindado información sobre las limitaciones de aquella reacción tan repentina a esta emergencia, y revela lecciones claves para la reapertura de clases- sean virtuales, híbridas, o presenciales-este otoño.  Durante los últimos meses, Californians Together, una organización que defiende los derechos de estudiantes aprendices del inglés (también conocidos como alumnos bilingües emergentes), encuestó a más de 650* educadores pedagogos sobre la enseñanza a distancia esta pasada primavera, centrándose particularmente en cómo sirvieron a las necesidades educativas de los aprendices del inglés. Los resultados fueron alarmantes. Sólo el 17 por ciento de los encuestados afirmaron que 75 por ciento de sus alumnos aprendices del inglés pudieron participar regularmente en las clases a distancia cada semana. Sin embargo, más de la mitad de los encuestados indicaron que la gran mayoría de sus aprendices del inglés no participaron en las clases semanalmente. Esto podría deberse, al menos en parte, al hecho de que las familias de estos alumnos tienen una probabilidad desproporcionada de ser marginados por la existente brecha digital y la falta de conectividad confiable al Internet (la red). Un tercio de los encuestados verificaron que sus distritos escolares tampoco aseguraron que cada uno de los aprendices del inglés tuviera acceso al Internet el pasado semestre para poder participar en clases virtuales durante la clausura.

*N=595 de los 650 encuestados respondieron

Nuestros líderes locales y estatales deben reconocer estas desigualdades tecnológicas y remediarlas mientras se preparan para lanzar y mejorar la educación pública este año escolar. Casi la mitad de los estudiantes en el estado de California hablan un idioma en sus hogares que no es inglés. Ya sea que decidan abrir las escuelas con instrucción presencial, continúen con el aprendizaje a distancia, o elaboren alguna mezcla híbrida de estos dos métodos, más que nunca los líderes deben priorizar las necesidades de los estudiantes aprendices del inglés. Aquí presentamos 10 sugerencias de cómo las escuelas pueden asistir a los aprendices del inglés de una manera más efectiva durante este período:

 

  1. Asegurar acceso a diario de la instrucción interactiva. Esto debe provenir directamente de sus maestro/as, ya sea de manera virtual o en persona. No cabe duda de que las interacciones consistentes en vivo son particularmente críticas para los aprendices del inglés. Los estudiantes aprenden más sobre el idioma cuando participan en conversaciones con sus maestros/as y sus compañeros. Además, la interacción ayuda a construir relaciones, promueve el desarrollo social y emocional, fomenta la participación de los alumnos, y aumenta el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes.
  2. Incluir el desarrollo de relaciones como parte del plan escolar. Esta pasada primavera, las escuelas pudieron sacar más provecho del aprendizaje a distancia por el hecho de que los maestros/as ya habían establecido las relaciones personales con sus alumnos durante los dos primeros tercios del año escolar. Desafortunadamente, no tendrán esa ventaja este año escolar. Las escuelas se verán obligadas a lanzar la instrucción académica inmediatamente en el esfuerzo por compensar el tiempo perdido. Sin embargo, los estudiantes pueden aprender mucho más si los maestros y las maestras dedican más tiempo para su desarrollo social y emocional, y se enfocan en relaciones comunales de la clase desde el principio del año escolar.
  3. Mantener un currículo completo y vigoroso. Del mismo modo, las escuelas deben resistir cualquier programa de estudio que reduzca las experiencias académicas de los aprendices del inglés. Al contrario, estos alumnos necesitan acceso al currículo presentado de una manera completa y con todas las materias: matemáticas, lectoescritura, ciencias, estudios sociales, música, artes y más. Con clases y experiencias atractivas e interesantes, los estudiantes seguirán fascinados y aprenderán más. Pero, si se limitan a ejercicios diarios de matemáticas y lecturas con formato correctivo y obligado, bien pueden estancarse y no avanzar.
  4. Conservar los servicios para el desarrollo de idioma. Los líderes educativos también deben asegurarse de que los aprendices del inglés tengan acceso a los servicios de instrucción del idioma inglés requeridos bajo las leyes estatales y federales. Esta instrucción puede tomar varias formas bajo diferentes diseños de aprendizaje, pero las escuelas deben priorizar los servicios de instrucción de idioma para los aprendices del inglés tan pronto las condiciones de salud pública permitan la escolarización en persona. Es preciso que en California la instrucción para el aprendizaje a distancia también incluye el requisito para el desarrollo del inglés, específicamente a través de la instrucción sobre el idioma, tanto como integrado en todas las asignaturas académicas.
  5. Proporcionar acceso a los recursos y dispositivos. Este año, el personal escolar debe construir sus modelos de instrucción tomando en cuenta que los aprendices de inglés quedaron en gran medida fuera del aprendizaje a distancia a fines del año escolar pasado. Este personal debe hacer esfuerzos especiales para asegurar que cada niño tenga un dispositivo disponible y acceso a los medios del Internet que necesita para participar en la instrucción a distancia. Además, los aprendices del inglés deben ser los primeros en regresar a la instrucción presencial, y también a las oportunidades de aprendizaje extendidas cuando esto sea posible.
  6. Mantener lista de asistencia. Como parte de sus esfuerzos para hacer que la instrucción del nuevo año escolar sea la más equitativa posible, el personal escolar debe realizar un seguimiento meticuloso de la asistencia de los alumnos, no importa el formato de enseñanza. Esto les ayudará a identificar problemas dónde existen brechas digitales, o falta de comprensión tecnológica de parte de las familias, que pueda impedir que los aprendices del inglés accedan la instrucción. Los distritos de California están obligados a desarrollar un Plan de Asistencia de Continuidad y Aprendizaje para asegurar un seguimiento de la asistencia individual de todos los estudiantes.
  7. Involucrar y comunicarse con las familias. Por supuesto, todo lo anterior será más difícil, incluso imposible, si las escuelas no se comunican bien con las familias de los estudiantes aprendices del inglés. La comunicación eficaz con los padres de familia es sólo el primer paso necesario para que las familias se involucren de una manera significativa. Casi el 60 por ciento de los maestros y los administradores que respondieron a nuestra encuesta reconocieron el hecho de que no ofrecieron oportunidades para que las familias adquieran las estrategias necesarias para apoyar el aprendizaje a distancia en casa. Este tipo de comunicación entre el personal escolar y los padres de familia es fundamental para poder apoyar a los aprendices del inglés al iniciar este año escolar, especialmente si las escuelas lanzan un aprendizaje nuevo de formato híbrido o continúan los cursos en línea.
  8. Apoyar a los educadores con los recursos para una nueva era de enseñanza. La administración de los distritos escolares y los líderes gubernamentales deben reconocer que los educadores necesitarán herramientas técnicas, adiestramiento profesional, y tiempo suficiente para prepararse para el comienzo de este año escolar. Como respuesta en la encuesta a la pregunta sobre cuál tema es el más crítico para el desarrollo profesional en relación a los aprendices del inglés, la mayoría de los encuestados seleccionó los “Procedimientos para este año escolar”, más que ninguna otra opción. Para llenar esta necesidad, los gobernantes a niveles estatales y nacionales deben proporcionar tiempo y financiamiento para el desarrollo profesional de docentes que se enfoca en estrategias para el desarrollo lingüístico y académico de los aprendices del inglés, particularmente en modelos de aprendizaje en línea o híbridos.
  9. Darles a los educadores más tiempo. Mientras tanto, dado el conjunto único de cambios que se les pedirá a los maestros y las maestras que implementen, la administración debe darles más tiempo para planificar, prepararse y colaborar antes y durante el año escolar.
  10. Ofrecer orientación desde los niveles más altos. Los líderes federales y estatales deben proporcionar a funcionarios de centros educativos a nivel local más orientación sobre cada uno de estos elementos: el acceso diario a la instrucción virtual, un enfoque integrado y centrado del niño y su aprendizaje, apoyos continuos para el desarrollo del idioma, priorización equitativa para los estudiantes que perdieron instrucción durante el pasado semestre escolar, seguimiento sobre su asistencia a clase, el compromiso e involucramiento familiar, y los soportes para los docentes.

Nada de esto será fácil, pero tampoco es opcional. Las escuelas ya han comenzado las clases para este semestre de otoño. No importa que forma de “reapertura” tomen las escuelas, son imprescindibles lo siguiente: la planificación- bastante tiempo para la preparación de cursos, adecuados recursos educativos, y la apropiada comunicación para que los educadores (líderes y maestros/as) impartan una educación equitativa a sus educandos.

Martha Hernández es directora ejecutiva de Californians Together, una coalición de 22 organizaciones de derechos humanos, profesionales y civiles que abogan por mejorar la política y la práctica de los aprendices de inglés. 

Traducción por Anaida Colon-Muniz, Ed.D.