Essential education reporting across America

English language learners

People stand in a school gymnasium full of tables and supplies to give away to families.
From Chalkbeat New York English language learners
‘All-hands-on-deck’: A Queens charter school welcomes 70 asylum-seeking students
At VOICE, the new arrivals profoundly reshaped the school almost overnight.
By Michael Elsen-Rooney
 
Migrants from Venezuela stand outside of a hotel in suburban Burr Ridge, Illinois.
From Chalkbeat Chicago English language learners
Nearly 3,700 migrants have been bused to Chicago from Texas. 425 are school-aged children.
Migrant students have enrolled in Chicago Public Schools and 11 different suburban districts. In Chicago, teachers are raising concerns about declining numbers of bilingual staff and lack of translated curricula.
By Becky Vevea
 
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From Chalkbeat New York Charters & Choice
Where do Hochul and Zeldin stand on education?
There are still many open questions about how both would approach policy for schools.
By Reema Amin
 
A student, wearing a yellow sweater, writes on a whiteboard that hangs on a bright yellow wall.
From Chalkbeat Indiana English language learners
Some Indiana schools may be failing to meet staffing rules for English learner students
Indiana reported an 8.5 percentage point drop in reading scores on state tests among third graders learning English.
By Aleksandra Appleton
 
Students walk ouside a school building
From Chalkbeat New York Diversity & Equity
NYC sends $12 million to schools serving newcomers. The city’s budget watchdog says they’re owed more.
Many of the students are asylum seekers who have arrived recently from South American countries.
By Alex Zimmerman
 
A masked teacher leans over to help a masked middle school student looking at a laptop.
From Chalkbeat Colorado English language learners
English-learner, special education teacher training program in Colorado gets boost
The program will work with more districts to train teachers.
By Yesenia Robles
 
A line of students wait outside a school, with some students along a wall and others along a chain link fence.
From Chalkbeat New York English language learners
New York City grapples with influx of new asylum-seeking students
Educators have reported myriad challenges at the schools, including a shortage of Spanish-speaking staff.
By Reema Amin
 
A child with dark hearing and a blue shirt wearing headphones watches a screen on a laptop while sitting.
From Chalkbeat Indiana Politics & Policy
3 takeaways from Indiana lawmakers’ hearing on funding for English learners, kids in poverty
Funding for schools with fewer students who live in poverty has increased faster than funding for schools with more such students, one group said.
By Aleksandra Appleton
 
Two women teachers interact with four preschool students in their classroom
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Diversity & Equity
How a bilingual preschool is trying to close Memphis’ literacy gap
Su Casa Preschool aims to provide quality early childhood education to Spanish-speaking immigrant children
By Samantha West
 
A student answers a question on a test using a pencil.
From Chalkbeat New York Assessment and testing
NYC test scores drop in math, increase in reading
The scores are the first measure of how students across the five boroughs have fared in reading and math since the coronavirus pandemic.
By Reema Amin
 
Three adults in masks stand behind a table with children seated and eating.
From Chalkbeat New York English language learners
NYC schools lays out plan to enroll hundreds of asylum-seeking students
At least 1,000 new students are expected to enroll in district schools, including preschool-aged children.
By Reema Amin
 
A group of women stand outside an elementary school. They hold signs that say “Don’t Close Our School,” “Colfax is Our Family,” and “DPS, Please Listen” in Spanish.
From Chalkbeat Colorado English language learners
Denver bilingual programs face a threat: not enough students
High housing costs and falling birth rates are driving down school enrollment in Denver’s historically Latino neighborhoods, making it harder to fill some bilingual classrooms.
By Melanie Asmar
 
A little girl wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and a hair bow holds a cardboard sign. In black marker, it says “Ser Bilingüe Es Mi Superpoder,” which means “Being Bilingual is my Superpower.”
From Chalkbeat Colorado En Español
Programas bilingües de Denver enfrentan problemas por muy pocos estudiantes y amenaza de cierres
Los altos costos de vivienda y la reducción en tasas de natalidad están reduciendo la matrícula escolar en las comunidades históricamente latinas de Denver, y esto hace más difícil llenar algunos salones bilingües.
By Melanie Asmar
 
Students walk through the lobby of P.S. 89, with ornate murals on the walls and light blue doors.
From Chalkbeat New York COVID Stimulus
Most NYC schools are losing funding. See what’s happening at your school.
Chalkbeat created a lookup tool examining changes to Fair Student Funding, a major source of funding for schools.
By Reema Amin and Thomas Wilburn
 
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From Chalkbeat New York COVID Stimulus
NYC budget deal cuts school funding amid declining enrollment
Schools will see less money in new budget deal, but Mayor Eric Adams says they’re not cuts. Instead, he sees the funding as reflecting the decreased student population.
By Reema Amin
 
The facade of Pan American High School in Elmhurst is seen behind a chainlink fence as the sun shines on the building.
From Chalkbeat New York COVID Stimulus
NYC educators wrestle with budget cuts for 2022-23 school year
As federal stimulus funding starts to wind down, school leaders are facing tough choices with declining budgets and enrollment.
By Reema Amin
 
Four teenage students look down at workbooks, along with an adult holding a pencil, all sitting at a circular table. A whiteboard behind one of the students reads “Bright MINDS” in stylized, colorful letters with a lightbulb drawn to the left.
From Chalkbeat Colorado En Español
La vida es dura para los estudiantes de intermedia y secundaria que tienen dificultad para leer. Esta escuela pública de Colorado quiere ayudar.
Un programa nuevo en el Distrito Jeffco es uno de los pocos en una escuela pública enfocado en estudiantes de intermedia y secundaria que sufren de dislexia.
By Ann Schimke
 
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From Chalkbeat New York Diversity & Equity
NYC education panel approves school funding formula after last month’s rejection
By Reema Amin
 
A teenage male student wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and a backpack stands in the doorway of Kingsbury High School in Memphis.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Shelby County Schools
A Memphis neighborhood rallies around its troubled high school
Memphis-Shelby County Schools wants a “fresh start” at Kingsbury High School. The community says it wants to be heard.
By Samantha West
 
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From Chalkbeat New York English language learners
NYC to expand transfer high schools to help English language learners
NYC education officials plan to expand transfer high schools to serve those students, using a Bronx school as one model.
By Reema Amin
 
A classroom with blue chairs sits empty.
From Chalkbeat New York Diversity & Equity
What the education panel’s rejection of NYC’s funding formula means for schools
The vote is unlikely to have an immediate impact on school budgets, but delays in approving a formula could hamper principals’ ability to plan and hire staff.
By Reema Amin and Alex Zimmerman
 
Men and women wearing suits sit behind desks in a large legislative chamber.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Politics & Policy
Tennessee governor’s education funding overhaul passes legislature
The goal is more funding for students with costlier needs, but will it be enough?
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A student, wearing a yellow sweater, writes on a whiteboard that hangs on a bright yellow wall.
Teaching & Classroom Teaching & Classroom
Remote learning made it challenging for English learners to practice speaking skills. This district is finding ways to help.
Schools are rearranging furniture, trying new activities, and offering teachers training on ways they can add more speaking practice into their lessons.
By Kalyn Belsha
 
Two women sit on the floor and play with young children in a preschool classroom decorated with flags of many nations. The woman near the front of the image interacts with two boys playing with a truck. The sit around a floor puzzle of the solar system.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Early Childhood
Colorado refugee women earn early childhood degrees, bring special skills to the classroom
These early childhood teachers already speak six languages. Now they’re earning credentials, helping their community, and living their dreams.
By Amanda Horvath and Alexis Kikoen
 
An English teacher chats about “The Crucible” with her class at ELLIS Prep Academy in the Bronx, a transfer school that serves immigrant students.
From Chalkbeat New York English language learners
Advocates seek more school programming for NYC’s newcomer immigrants
Immigration advocates say that public schools can be “largely inaccessible” for thousands of immigrant students.
By Reema Amin
 
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From Chalkbeat New York COVID Stimulus
NYC schools have spent just half of this year’s COVID relief, report says
With the end of the school year approaching, NYC schools have spent just about half of this year’s COVID relief, according to a comptroller report.
By Reema Amin
 
Three men sit at a desk in a classroom.
From Chalkbeat Colorado En Español
Clases de inglés práctico atraen a cientos de personas a universidad en Denver
El Community College de Denver ha cambiado su programa de inglés como segundo idioma para dar clases de inglés a estudiantes y ayudarles a conseguir empleo.
By Jason Gonzales
 
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From Chalkbeat New York Community & Wraparound Programs
Summer jobs for all — except NYC’s undocumented youth
Mayor Eric Adams wants to give summer jobs to all youth who want one. But undocumented youth can’t participate in the program.
By Reema Amin
 
A woman stands in front of a white marker board and a group of students in a classroom.
From Chalkbeat Colorado College and career readiness
Words to know: Practical English classes draw hundreds to Denver college’s courses
The Community College of Denver has changed its English as a second language program to teach students English that can help them land jobs.
By Jason Gonzales
 
High school students role play a restorative justice seminar with their counselor in this Chalkbeat file photo.
From Chalkbeat Newark Mental Health in Schools
N.J. immigrant students face barriers to mental health aid. What needs to change?
An advocacy group’s report points to lack of bilingual staff and COVID as big issues.
By Catherine Carrera
 
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