U.S. Judge Denies Right to Literacy
In Detroit last month, U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy III asserted that, despite its importance, the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a fundamental right to literacy.
The plaintiffs (students and families), who accuse Michigan Governor Rick...
Improving Accountability for English Learners in California
Californians Together, a statewide education advocacy coalition, has introduced a new framework for accountability focused on the needs of English learner (EL) students in California, with the support of 20 organizations including Advancement Project...
English Learners Succeeding
A new study finds that scores from students who speak a language other than English at home have improved dramatically over the last 15 years. Students who speak a language other than English at home...
California Bill Would Redefine Dual Language Learners
A new bill in the California State Assembly could change the way educators work with and accommodate the unique...
Rumi in the Language Classroom Vol 7: Operational Definition
Rumi in the Language Classroom Vol 7
See Vol 1 hereSee Vol 2 hereSee Vol 3 hereSee Vol 4 hereSee Vol 5 hereSee Vol 6 here
In the seventh part of Rumi in the Language Classroom,...
Connecting the Community
Tracey Smith makes integrating English language learners into her school’s community a lesson in empathy
I’m the principal at Brookwood Elementary, where we serve more than 1,200 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Approximately 10% of...
All Englishes Matter
The exclusive or predominant use of inner-circle Englishes in English language teaching (ELT) materials creates and perpetuates myths about...
Report Claims Most US Teachers Not Trained to Create Readers
According to a report by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a Washington-based think tank funded by the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, which received funding from the Bush administration to support No...
Comparing Child Languages
Clifton Pye suggests a comprehensive approach to crosslinguistic research
At the dawn of the modern linguistic era, Noam Chomsky stated that the central problem for linguistic theory “is essentially the problem of constructing a theory of language...
Taking the Holistic Approach
Margarita Calderón and Shawn Slakk believe that the whole school is responsible for the success of English learners
English learners (ELs) are no longer solely the responsibility of the ESL teacher. The entire school’s staff...