Essential education reporting across America

English language learners

A view from above two children, who are wearing blue shirts and pants, sit on a couch and read a book.
First Person First Person
In our schools, many families speak Mixteco. So we decided to translate children’s books into the Indigenous language.
Our California school district has a large population of Mexican families for whom neither Spanish nor English is their first language.
By Karling Aguilera-Fort
 
Bags of different sizes and a pink suitcase sit in front of a person sitting in a chair wearing a black jacket and a yellow cap. People sit in chairs waiting in the background.
From Chalkbeat Colorado School Enrollment
Housing help is running out for migrant families. Denver teachers are scrambling to help.
Denver gives newly arrived migrant families 30 days of free housing. When time is up, some families struggle to find somewhere else to go.
By Yesenia Robles and Erica Meltzer
 
A woman shows off student work featured on a classroom wall.
From Chalkbeat New York How I Teach
She teaches recent immigrants. Here’s how she makes her NYC classroom a safe space to learn English.
This ENL teacher wants her students to feel comfortable sharing their stories and identities.
By Gabrielle Birkner
 
Silhouettes of students with their hands raised in front of a map.
From Chalkbeat Chicago School Enrollment
Chicago Public Schools enrollment is stable after more than a decade of decline
Preliminary data analyzed by Chalkbeat shows just over 322,000 students were enrolled as of the 20th day of school, when the district takes an official count. The stable number comes after a decade of dramatic annual declines.
By Reema Amin
 
A teacher wearing gold hoop earrings sits on the floor of a classroom, over a rug with the alphabet, and points at pictures on cards while talking to two young girls.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Padres de Colorado: ¿Necesitan ayuda para pagar el preescolar? Vean estos programas.
El programa preescolar universal de Colorado ya está aquí. Si el medio día de clases no es suficiente, estos programas podrían ayudar.
By Ann Schimke
 
A child in a blue shirt walks under an archway of blue and orange balloons, with other people in the background.
From Chalkbeat New York Eric Adams
Back to school for NYC’s nearly 900,000 students brings smiles and sweat
Students returned to the city’s nearly 1,600 schools on a sweltering Thursday as a possible bus strike loomed.
By Amy Zimmer, Michael Elsen-Rooney, and 2 more
 
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From Chalkbeat Indiana English language learners
Students learning English get a first-in-Indiana graduation pathway focused on careers
As the number of English language learners grows in the state, Perry Township tries a new diploma track.
By Aleksandra Appleton
 
A colorful ‘Welcome back to school’ sign is posted on a fence in front of a brick building.
From Chalkbeat New York School Enrollment
5 things to watch this school year in NYC
It will be a pivotal school year for schools Chancellor David Banks, as his signature initiative to overhaul literacy instruction starts rolling out.
By Michael Elsen-Rooney
 
A man with glasses and wearing a T-shirt with a butterfly under a blazer looks at the camera.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Politics & Policy
Meet Jianan Shi: Chicago’s new Board of Education president
Jianan Shi describes himself as “an immigrant that’s fallen in love with Chicago.” Here’s why he feels “the urgency of this work,” and what he plans to do about it.
By Becky Vevea
 
A family with a father, mother and three children stand in front of a car on a New York City street.
From Chalkbeat New York School Enrollment
Enrollment snags delay school placements for some NYC asylum seekers
More than 100,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City since last summer, with an estimated 20,000 children enrolling in the city’s public schools.
By Michael Elsen-Rooney
 
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From Chalkbeat Chicago Chalkbeat En Español
Así está la educación bilingüe mientras los estudiantes inmigrantes se matriculan en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago
Ahora que se acerca el primer día de clases, esto es lo que sabemos sobre los recursos bilingües y los estudiantes de inglés en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago.
By Max Lubbers, Kae Petrin, and 1 more
 
Two teenage girls huddle as they fill out paperwork.
From Chalkbeat Chicago First Person
I helped two migrant teens enroll in Chicago Public Schools. It was anything but straightforward.
It took a few days, but the girls who are staying at a local police station with their families are now officially enrolled in Chicago Public Schools.
By Maureen Kelleher
 
Giovanny Navarro, wearing an orange formal shirt, sits at an office chair. Behind him are signs that say “Math=success” and “I heart math.” There also is a bookshelf and file cabinet behind him with colorful books. Navarro smiles toward the camera
From Chalkbeat Chicago Special education
Meet Giovanny Navarro, one of Chicago Public Schools’ newest teachers
Navarro completed a year of training through Chicago Public Schools’ Teacher Residency program. Now he teaches as a special education teacher at Finkl Academy, where he previously worked as a paraprofessional.
By Max Lubbers
 
A man in a suit and tie greets elementary school children in front of cameras.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Community & Wraparound Programs
Chicago Public Schools reopens for the 2023-24 school year under a new era of leadership
As roughly 320,000 students went back to class across Chicago, the district faces a number of challenges for the new school year.
By Reema Amin, Becky Vevea, and 1 more
 
A young girl holds a blue marker in her hand as she sits at a desk and writes an equation on poster paper.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Student & School Performance
Chicago’s first day of school is almost here. Here are five things we’re watching this year.
The issues include the city’s precarious funding situation, enrollment shifts, and what support will look like for migrant students.
By Reema Amin
 
A teacher points to information on a white board as her students sit on the floor in front of her.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Assessment and testing
Colorado state test scores show slow recovery from COVID disruptions
But 2023 CMAS results also show worrying signs that many students are still struggling, and that recovery is uneven. Here’s everything you need to know.
By Erica Meltzer, Melanie Asmar, and 1 more
 
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From Chalkbeat Chicago English language learners
As migrant students enroll in Chicago Public Schools, here’s a closer look at bilingual education
More than 5,000 new English learners enrolled in Chicago schools last year. With the first day of school rapidly approaching, a Chalkbeat analysis found a complicated picture of bilingual staffing resources at the district.
By Max Lubbers and Kae Petrin
 
A man in a gray suit smiles for a portrait. In the background is artwork of a young boy.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Politics & Policy
Q&A: New MSCS board member Mauricio Calvo has one year. Here’s where he hopes to make an impact.
Getting the right superintendent is a ‘humongous responsibility,’ says the longtime head of Latino Memphis.
By Laura Testino
 
A woman in a gold-colored head covering looks to the side.
From Chalkbeat New York Community & Wraparound Programs
Meet Afrikana, a Harlem community center powered by asylum seekers
Asylum-seekers volunteer at the center to help other migrants. The grassroots group is looking to expand its volunteer base to students.
By Eliana Perozo
 
People holding up beige T-shirts in a room with a green chalkboard.
From Chalkbeat New York College and career readiness
‘Helping me help my community’: A look at a summer jobs program for undocumented students
Inspired by NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program, Oyate’s summer internship focuses on helping undocumented students.
By Eliana Perozo
 
A pair of black Converse sneakers on asphalt
From Chalkbeat Newark Student Voices Fellowship
Here’s what it was like for me to transition from ESL to mainstream classes
Speaking up while learning English can be terrifying.
By Karen Otavalo
 
Students and parents are silhouetted as they arrive to Castro Elementary in the morning.
From Chalkbeat Colorado School segregation / integration
New study finds ‘pervasive’ segregation in Denver schools
Latino students, English learners, white students, and wealthy students all are more likely to attend schools where most other students have similar backgrounds, the study finds, with major implications for educational equality.
By Erica Meltzer
 
Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez and Mayor Brandon Johnson stand in front of an orange and green sign outside a new enrollment center for newcomer families to get children enrolled before the first day of school.
From Chalkbeat Chicago English language learners
Chicago Public Schools opens an enrollment center for newly arrived migrant students
Thousands of school-aged children are among the new migrant arrivals and enrolling them into local public schools is a priority for the city of Chicago. The new “welcome center” will help newcomer families get help signing up for school, making medical and dental appointments, and enrolling in public benefits, such as food assistance and Medicaid.
By Mila Koumpilova
 
A woman with brown hair and a red dress laughs with four children of different ages while standing on grass in front of trees in a park.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Chicago Public Schools
‘If they don’t feel safe, they can’t learn’: Teachers help refugee students feel ready for school
‘These children are coming from a lot of trauma, and the first thing cannot be academics,’ said Sol Camano, a bilingual Chicago educator.
By Crystal Paul
 
Two women standing under a purple, white, and silver balloon arch in a school gym.
From Chalkbeat Indiana Diversity & Equity
Indianapolis school shortlisted for global prize for its English language instruction for refugees
William Henry Burkhart Elementary’s successful work with English language learners is rooted in work that began nearly two decades ago.
By Jade Thomas
 
Susana Cordova stands in a library with a globe.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Conozca a Susana Córdova, primera latina en el máximo cargo de educación en Colorado
Susana Córdova empezó como estudiante en Denver Public Schools y llegó a ser comisionada de educación del estado. Lea cómo ayudará a los estudiantes.
By Erica Meltzer
 
Young students cast long shadows on the sidewalk as they head in for their first day of school.
From Chalkbeat New York Student & School Performance
New York state wants to rethink how it evaluates schools. Here’s what could change.
The public health crisis paused state testing, impacting how the state typically evaluates schools.
By Reema Amin
 
A family at a college graduation ceremony // Una familia en una ceremonia de graduación universitaria.
From Chalkbeat Newark Student Voices Fellowship
How a phone call with my grandma takes me back in time
The women in my family haven’t had the opportunities now before me, but their stories made mine possible.
By Karen Otavalo
 
A family at a college graduation ceremony // Una familia en una ceremonia de graduación universitaria.
From Chalkbeat Newark Student Voices Fellowship
Cómo una llamada de mi abuela me hace retroceder en el tiempo
Las mujeres de mi familia no han tenido las oportunidades que yo, pero sus historias hicieron posible la mía.
By Karen Otavalo
 
Sheridan School District Superintendent Pat Sandos talks to two people whose backs are to the camera.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Sheridan necesita un nuevo superintendente. El proceso ha dividido a la comunidad — otra vez
Los miembros de la comunidad dicen que el próximo líder de Sheridan tiene que escuchar a los padres, y también ponerle fin al éxodo de maestros.
By Yesenia Robles
 
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