DREAM act passes House in MN!

The DREAM act is on the verge of reality and it restores my faith in MN that's almost reality here. See this news article for updates.

http://m.startribune.com/news/?id=205638851&c=y

I remember attending a meeting with other educators about advocating for the DREAM act in MN - 15 years ago! There were undocumented students there working hard on the issue. Since it took 15 years to get this far - I wonder where they are now? Did they get a chance at their dream? I think about what I'm advocating for now- fair testing, equal access, quality communication with families, all educators taking responsibility for ELLs learning, and much more. what if it takes 15 years? What factors and actions can speed up this process? How does change happen?

More Equity Needed for ELLs - MALDEF Leader Requests Commission

Recently the U.S. Government released a report, Reversing the Rising Tide of Inequality, that made recommendations for programs and spending that would address inequities in educational quality for students living in poverty.  Recommendations included:

• Urging the U.S. Department of Education to design a Race to the Top competition to reward states that overhaul school funding formulas that would distribute money based on the actual needs of students and not where their schools are located.
• Pushing for more federal civil rights investigations and compliance reviews of states and schools districts where disparities in per-pupil spending, as well as in distribution of resources such as access to college-preparatory courses and effective teachers, have been persistent.

Thomas A. Saenz, the president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) said that more attention needed to be paid to the needs of ELLs, which weren't addressed in this report.  He wants a commission to look at how Federal Title III funds - designed to meet the needs of ELLs- can be used more effectively and equitably between states.  There are issues with how students are counted and also how funds are used to address needs.  Some states, such as New Jersey, do a "weighted" funding support model and provide up to $4,000 - $5,000 more per school to more realistically address the costs associated with educating ELLs.   

For more detailed information click this link to the article:  Federal Commission for ELLs.  I'm hoping with the increased focus on ELD and Common Core standards and the awareness that ELLs aren't going to achieve by receiving the same level of support and kinds of instruction they've been receiving, that there will be some increased political pressure to investigate what works and require consistent application of the findings.

Inspiration!

This weekend I had the opportunity to network with dedicated, talented, energetic ESL teachers from a variety of grade levels.  We had the MinneTESOL Elementary Group "Spring Fling" and the theme was advocacy.  My favorite!  Teachers discussed their teaching situations, how to use data to improve ELL support, effective instructional practices and much more.  We were also honored to share the Spring Fling event with a newly formed standing committee, "MinneSLIFE" - (Students with Limited Interrupted Formal Education) and they had packed sessions on refugee issues and effective instruction for students with low academic skills.  I'm going to post links to my powerpoints and begin sharing more research and resources on advocacy.  I've been inspired and I realize there is so much advocacy teachers are trying to do on their own and anything I can do to share resources will help.  Please let me know if there is anything you're especially interested in to help you with your advocacy activities!

"Remember, this is not just a a debate about policy, it's about people." - President Obama

President Obama seems to be committing himself and his administration more deeply in the immigration debate - specifically legal pathways to citizenship. His support for the DREAM act a few years ago was almost enough to get it passed but it failed in Congress at the last minute. Perhaps this is his "Thank You" to the 70% of Latinos who voted for him - whatever the case - I am encouraged by his leadership on this issue. I am also encouraged that many Republicans seem to have woken from their long sleep in a world where everyone is white and powerful and noticed that Latinos are a powerful voting block and maybe they should pay attention to their needs. There seems to be hope for a bipartisan bill at last. While I'm a little too cynical to believe any politician is advocating for this change due to the goodness of their hearts, I'm willing to accept the efforts at face value and support their efforts as long as I think there is true reform. I want undocumented residents to have the opportunity for a full life in America - not a band aid that allows them a few years and then need to be re-evaluated for worthiness. Here is a link to the full article and I've included a few interesting facts from the article below.


http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2013/01/obama_wants_direct_path_to_cit.html

To put that a bit more in perspective: In 2011, there were more than 40 million immigrants in the U.S., a record number, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Of those, 11 million are undocumented, a number that fell from a peak of 12 million in 2007. Roughly 1 million unauthorized immigrants are under the age of 18.

And every year, American high schools produce 65,000 graduates who are unauthorized immigrants, according to the College Board.