This week I came across this article: Parents upset over daytime adult classes at Nordstrom.
This came from a newspaper in California, The Morgan Hill Times.
Here is a little overview of the article...an elementary school began offering ESL classes for parents of students. The classes were originally in the evening twice a week, but after many requests the class times were moved to 8:30-10:30am, still twice a week. The idea was that parents would drop off their children for school. and they would then enter their own classroom to receive English instruction. The goals were to build English skills, as well as parent involvement. Sounds like a great idea...
...well not everyone felt that way. The article discussed how there were a few parents very upset over the new time the parent ESL classes were offered...during the school day. There were immediate safety concerns regarding the increased number of adults in the school. The district was taking safety precautions, such as background checks and fingerprinting but that wasn't enough to ease the fears some parents had.
I found myself feeling conflicted reading this article. I loved the idea of offering the parent ESL classes. I think this is such an amazing resource. You can tell the school really has their students' best interests in mind. They truly are going above and beyond to meet their students' needs. However, the parents aren't raising concerns without reason. We unfortunately live in a world where comfort has somewhat been lost. It often bothers me that school shootings have become so common that most don't even make national headlines. That's scary.
Without having any background on this school I would think that school had a good idea about the type of parents they had. I would hope they wouldn't decide to offer these classes during school hours if they felt like their students and faculty would be at risk in any way.
Nonetheless, I do find myself "siding" with the school district. I think this is a phenomenal resource and I would love to hear a follow up regarding any success they had.
Chloe,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! I think this is a great resource for our ELL parents! The other parents' fear, while understandable to some degree, is, I feel, not needed. The adults that are coming to these classes are parents of students in the building. Additionally, if they are taking the initiative and time out of their day to improve their own language skills, I feel this speaks to them being responsible individuals. These parents probably wanted the classes during the school day so that they could be home with their children in the evening. At this point, they may not have sought after or found a job because of their language barrier, so this could be their stepping stone to becoming a productive citizen. I also 'side' with the school district on this!
What a great idea! I think this would be a huge benefit to parents. This is a population that has its challenges when it comes to school involvement. Classes could be the catalyst to help parents feel more comfortable. I do understand the security concerns, but hopefully the school is taking all necessary precautions and is being transparent with the parents.
ReplyDeleteChloe,
ReplyDeleteWow! What an interesting concept! I agree that this idea has the potential to be extremely beneficial to involved parents, especially those who may not otherwise be able to attend the classes due to lack of childcare after school hours. Regarding the safety concerns still present after precautions were taken, I don't know if I have enough information about the district/school to make an educated opinion on the matter. Does the building already allow parent volunteers during the school day? What other security measures are in place in the building? Is the adult classroom located in a central part of the building, or away from student classrooms? etc.