English Learner Students Are Our Biggest Forgotten Demographic

By Jennifer Chacon-Duran

The public education system constantly leaves students behind due to a lack of funding. One perspective we continue to overlook is that of English Learner students of color. The number of English Learner students in the Bay Area is rapidly growing. Many schools have started to have “Newcomer” Programs to help students who have just moved to the US smoothly transition from their previous education system to the American education system. Unfortunately, many schools are not equipped to support their new students properly, and they end up not progressing their English skills, leaving them to fall further behind in school. 

Even schools in affluent areas such as North Berkeley struggle to meet their newcomer students’ needs. Coming in as a volunteer coordinator to help with MLK Middle School’s after-school program, I have gotten the chance to work with many of the EL students over the course of a couple of years. MLK is a more well-funded school that has high levels on their English and Math test scores. However, their rates for English proficiency with their newcomer students are low. While some students have seen some progress in their English and academics, that is not the case for all students. Many are discouraged from even trying their homework because of the language barrier and lack of help during the day, entirely in English. These students easily fall further behind, but nothing is done to support them. Eighth graders reading at 4th-grade levels, who don’t know their multiplication tables yet, are still sent off to Berkeley High School. These students are being set up to fail. 

Increased funding to our public students would help all of our students. It cannot be emphasized enough that even our schools that are better off do not have adequate help to support ALL their students. Reforming Prop 13 and restoring the billions of dollars corporations have been hogging for themselves would help students and staff like those at MLK break down the language barrier in a more efficient and successful way, so their students can continue their academic careers understanding what they are learning in school.