Over 350 languages are spoken in the United States — making the nation one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. English is the most spoken language in the U.S., and has recently been adopted as the country’s official language. In schools, English is used as a bridge, bringing together students of different cultures and origins.
Over 50 years ago, it became required for U.S. public schools to provide supplemental English courses for non-English speaking students. In 1971, the integration of the California school system resulted in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) having over 2,800 students of Chinese ancestry who weren’t proficient in English. At the time, they only provided around 1,000 of those students with supplemental English courses. Kinney Kimmon Lau and several other students of Chinese descent who weren’t receiving supplemental English courses filed a suit against the SFUSD. The case, Lau v. Nichols, went to the Supreme Court. In a unanimous vote, the court declared it was unconstitutional to not provide Multilingual Learners (MLLs) with supplemental English instruction.
The U.S. educational system is built on the expectation that students already have a foundational understanding of the English language. Students for whom English instruction poses a language barrier are unable to access their education the same way as their English-speaking peers. Current civil rights law requires every public school in the U.S. to ensure that MLLs have equal access to education adapted to their needs and can participate meaningfully in their education. Allison Smith, an English Language Development (ELD) teacher at Franklin, says, “It is particularly important to note that Lau v. Nichols ruled that identical education does not constitute equal education. Providing students with targeted English language instruction is part of providing students access to an equal educational opportunity.”
ELD within Portland Public Schools (PPS) aims to support MLLs throughout their educational experience. Franklin currently has 173 ELD students who speak over 21 different languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese, according to Smith. One goal of ELD classes is “supporting students to learn and grow their English skills through reading, writing, speaking, and listening opportunities,” Smith states.
Tereza Bottman, an ELD teacher at Franklin, says, “The law says that students should not be barred from quality, equitable education because they’re not fluent in English or [are just] starting to learn English … The role of ELD should officially be to ensure that students are accessing education in schools regardless of their first language.”
The ELD program at Franklin includes its own specific classes as well as teachers who drop into English-language instruction classes to support ELD students. Bottman explains, “[There are] different ways that students are served. Some students [are in] ELD classes, but most students are supported in other ways … [like] through case management, which is an ELD teacher checking on their grades and checking in with their teachers.” Thuthuy Tran, a bilingual educational assistant at Franklin who does case management with students, shares, “Through all [my] years facing many up-and-down students, I have [a lot of] experience to share with [them] and [to] encourage them [to strive] for success.”
The ELD program is constantly adapting to support the success of its students. Smith says she would change how MLLs are assessed — a process currently done through the annual English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA). The Oregon ELPA measures ELD students’ English proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and comprehension. Like other standardized tests, the ELPA is considered flawed by many, including Smith and Bottman. Smith explains some drawbacks of the test, saying, “It’s a long, difficult test that takes up to four hours for high school students to complete. It is a ‘high stakes’ test in that it is the only way for students to demonstrate if they are proficient in English according to the state of Oregon.” Bottman adds, “I don’t think the ELPA has ever been normed on native English speakers, so I would be very curious to see how students who are not considered ELD students would do.”
ELD is an important program meant to serve students. To that point, Bottman asks, “Is that really happening? … We see a lot of ELD students failing and being penalized for being MLLs, as opposed to being supported.” Bottman claims, “The same books and learning materials [that are provided for [non-MLLs] are not equitable for MLLs. You have to differentiate and scaffold materials, and so all teachers need training and coaching on [working] with MLLs. Learning needs to be accessible, and that’s not happening.”
Bottman emphasizes that the ELD program lacks sufficient support, saying, “We need a lot more staffing; we don’t have enough ELD teachers to truly support [students]. We’re supposed to be co-teaching with content teachers — teaching together as a team, planning [together], and using both of our expertise. That’s not really happening across the board.” Everyone — on the instructional and district level — must be involved for ELD to continue to improve for students.
ELD is especially important currently because many ELD students are immigrants. Bottman shares, “Especially now, with this very tense time politically, I think a lot of our immigrant students and family members are feeling a lot of anxiety and feeling targeted. I definitely want my classroom to be a safer place.” Bottman continues, “I want my space to be safe [and] welcoming, where [students’] humanity is seen, and they [feel that they] can bring their full selves.”
Though Franklin’s ELD program is currently beneficial to its students, there are still improvements to be made to support all students in their education. Bottman states, “We should aspire, as districts and schools, to truly serve these students who are [part of] one of the most underserved and ignored groups of students, whose civil rights are being breached every day in our own classrooms.” Bottman continues, “There’s a long way to go; it takes passionate advocates [and] also leaders — building leaders, district leaders, and state leaders — to really move the needle.”
ELD, an often overlooked program, is part of the lives of many of our students and community members. Bottman herself was an ELD student in high school, part of why she is so passionate about her job and about serving students. Bottman expresses, “I hope that … I can play a role in [ELD students’] self-actualization so that they can pursue their goals and [ensure] that [the] door is open for them.” Especially in ELD, caring and thoughtful teachers are vital. Bottman remarks, “I hope [students] feel seen and valued for the languages and cultures that they bring with them to school.”
