Thread: Project helps demand for teachers

Project helps demand for teachers


April 13, 2008
By CATHERINE ANN VELASCO STAFF WRITER
Teacher Elida Razo, 24, knows what it's like to be in a school without a bilingual program.

When she moved to Bradley Bourbonnais with her family from Mexico, her kindergarten teacher didn't speak Spanish.

» Click to enlarge image Kindergarten teacher Elida Razo helps Jesse Lozano, 6, make a paper kite as Claudia Ortiz, 6, cleans up her table area in a bilingual classroom at A.O. Marshall Elementary School in Joliet.

(Liz Wilkinson Allen/Staff Photographer)
» Click to enlarge image Sonia Gonzales gets a lesson in reading her child's report card by Creekside Elementary teacher Christine Leicht during the PEP program for parents of bilingual students April 3 in the school's library.
(Corey R. Minkanic/Special to the Herald News)
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"For me, it was sink or swim," she said. "I do feel like I struggled a bit being in a town where there was no bilingual program."

Razo earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish language and literature, but now believes teaching is her calling. She's working on getting her master's degree in education while she teaches a bilingual kindergarten classroom at A.O. Marshall Elementary School in Joliet Township.

Learning while teaching
This year, Razo is one of four teachers in a Joliet Grade School District participating in the Bilingual Transition to Teaching Project (BTTP), an alternative route to teacher certification for individuals who wish to change careers and become bilingual teachers in districts that have a high need.
The program allows participants to complete the same education requirements as traditionally certified teachers, but in lieu of traditional student teaching, participants receive on-the-job training as full-time bilingual teachers.

"The best part is being able to work in the classroom," Razo said. "You start out doing the student teaching part. You sort of start backwards."

And, she's getting most of her master's degree in education paid for in lieu of promising to work in one of 12 partner school districts, including Joliet Grade School District.

Partnered with the Illinois Resource Center, Northern Illinois University and Chicago Public Schools, BTTP will celebrate its first graduation in May with 13 students, and with another 20 graduates in the fall. With the $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, BTTP is expected to have 180 graduates, said Naomi Velazquez Greene, program manager of BTTP.

The purpose of the program is to fill the need for bilingual teachers for Spanish-speaking students in school districts that have 2 percent of its teachers on emergency provisional certificates and have at least 20 percent of students considered low income by federal standards.

Huge need
The program is one of the ways the state is filling a huge need for Spanish-speaking teachers. In one year, the state saw an increase of 26,000 English Language Learners (ELL). In 2006, there were 166,000 ELL students, compared to 192,000 ELL students in 2007. The state board estimates that in the next three years 1,226 bilingual teachers will be needed statewide.
The law requires school districts to create a transitional bilingual classroom when there are 20 or more students in one school who speak the same language. They are taught in their language while learning English as a second language.

Greene said BTTP is getting to the end of its grant, but hopes to have enough money left for one more cohort of 20 to 25 students to help its southern partners, such as Joliet Grade School District.

Carol Sossong, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Joliet Grade School District, said the BTTP program is great for the district, which currently has one of the fastest growing number of Hispanic students. Almost half -- 47 percent -- of its student population are Hispanic.

Currently, the district has 42 ELL teachers and needs three more teachers for next school year. However, said there is a strong need for teachers who can speak both languages to help the ELL students when they are mainstreamed back into general education.

St. Francis helps
The district also works with University of St. Francis education majors who work in Joliet grade school classrooms starting their sophomore years. This program provides the district a nice pool of teaching candidates, Sossong said.
The district also has two ELL teachers who came from the district's own bilingual program.

Tony Villagomez, district coordinator of bilingual services, said he moved from Mexico and entered Joliet Grade School District's bilingual program when he was in sixth grade.

Now, the district is starting to see a small trend of students who were in bilingual programs wanting to teach in bilingual classrooms.

"As our population grows, we are getting more and more kids who are interested in teaching, and in bilingual education," Sossong said.

Classroom drill
Razo teaches her students their ABCs, the days of the week and their numbers in Spanish. While mastering Spanish as their first language, they also learn English as a second language for 30 minutes daily.
Some of her students know some English, while others don't know any, so they speak to her in Spanish.

"It's very beneficial to them. They are able to have someone who can relate to them," she said. "If they need anything, they are not scared. They don't hesitate for help."

That was not the case when Razo was in kindergarten.

"At the time, I felt lost," she said. "I think I could have done better in school if I had a little bit more support."

For more information on the teaching program, visit http://www.transitiontoteaching.com.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/hera ... 1.article#

Quote:
Teacher Elida Razo, 24, knows what it's like to be in a school without a bilingual program.

When she moved to Bradley Bourbonnais with her family from Mexico, her kindergarten teacher didn't speak Spanish.

"For me, it was sink or swim," she said. "I do feel like I struggled a bit being in a town where there was no bilingual program."

Isn't it odd that this teacher, who learned English by total immersion, has a degree?

While alot of today's kids who are in bilingual programs are the lowest scoring and many drop out of school?

This is proof positive that bilingual programs do NOT work!

Razo teaches her students their ABCs, the days of the week and their numbers in Spanish. While mastering Spanish as their first language, they also learn English as a second language for 30 minutes daily.
Some of her students know some English, while others don't know any, so they speak to her in Spanish.

I wonder exactly what qualifies as enough for English as a second language? I just find it odd that it's just 30 min. a day and the rest of their time in school and at home and everywhere else....is in Spanish? They are graduating these students and they still need translators.

Not to mention if you are an immigrant from a country where you don't have alot of your own people going to your school......sounds like you are out of luck for any "bi-lingual" education.....you're stuck "sinking or swimming" while these guys are catered to in the school, society in general and every other way. I have yet to see any request for any other language for "bi-lingual" education. For anything....teachers aids or anything. I know there are alot of immigrants, legal, illegal and refugees here where there's far more than 20 of their kids in a school......but the only "bi-lingual" program promoted is for the Spanish.

They pointed out that 47% of the student population is hispanic......they are getting "bi-lingual education" from day one.....what about the others? Especially when there's 63 other foreign languages spoken in the district. There's a very large black population and they aren't graduating speaking any other language. Yet like the rest of us....they still have to get out and get a job. You know...those low wage jobs they aren't allowed to do either.....because they don't speak Spanish. Warehouse worker, maid, restaurant, laundry...etc. Forget the other white people or asian people who may be bi-lingual....just don't speak Spanish.

Bi-lingual doesn't mean "must speak Spanish" and we've had almost 2 decades of "bi-lingual" education and they aren't speaking English either. There's not less Spanish signs....there's more. There's more and more people loosing jobs, not able to get jobs or being demoted from jobs because they don't speak Spanish...yet they (hispanics) are becomming the majority in many fields and they don't speak English.

I just got the flier for the Jr. college here. FREE adult and children classes for Spanish speakers who want to learn English....but nothing for anyone else. No FREE Spanish classes for displaced English speaking workers or any other language to speak Spanish or English.

I just don't see where any of this is benefitting ANY other group of people or their children who have to learn to live and work as well.