On Oct. 23, Kirk Black, San Mateo Union High School District’s deputy superintendent, sent a memorandum to the Board of Trustees, emphasizing the need to expand multilingual learner programs in the district.
In response, San Mateo Adult & Career Education, a department of SMUHSD, entered a partnership with the San Bruno Park School District. Like SMACE, San Bruno Park was also experiencing an increased demand for English as a Second Language classes.
The partnership helps to compensate staff for their extra work to teach adult classes at night. Black also recommended that the board approve the continued partnership.
“The program … has demonstrated notable success, exceeding anticipated participation levels,” the memo stated. “With the financial backing of SBPSD, SMACE is well-positioned to meet [increased] demand and further the mission of providing accessible adult education to the community.”
These programs are vital to communities, helping one of the most underserviced groups in society.
“It’s a super important program, especially in this area,” said freshman Mia Rapoport. “The Bay Area is full of people who maybe haven’t grown up here, or English isn’t their first language.”
San Mateo County reports that 45.3% of residents speak a language other than English at home.
ESL, Multilingual Learner and Community and Literacy In Action classes often teach more than just the language.
“We’re really helping them understand what living in America is, what their opportunities are,” said Joana Feit, SMUHSD’s manager of MLL programs. “[We help] them apply to college and think about what they’re going to do after high school. We also have a couple of social workers who work with families in finding food security, home security, clothing and medical insurance. [There are] all sorts of things for people who are new to this country that they are not familiar with.”
In addition to taking part in ESL, MLL or CLA classes, all students who indicate that English is not their first language are required to take the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California.
“They take [the ELPAC] and either they test high enough that they are [considered] fluent in English, or they become a multilingual learner,” Feit said. “From there, they have a choice of what school to go to, depending on what their level is. They are obviously offered their home school, but if their English is at the newcomer level, they are offered the opportunity to go to one of the three sites that has a newcomer program as well.”
As required in the state of California, every school in the district has a designated ELD and CLA class.
“Students are required to take [ELD courses] in California unless they [test] out,” Feit said. “Then the student takes the ELPAC every year in the spring. If they get to the maximum score of four and they’re getting a C-minus or higher in their English class, then they can be reclassified as fluent, English-proficient, and they no longer are a multilingual learner and do not need to take the designated ELD [or CLA] class anymore.”
Currently, MLL and CLA programs serve about 1,000 students classified as multilingual learners. At Aragon, students who need support are enrolled in CLA classes, taught by Amelia Salis and Sara Garcia.
These classes are important for many aspects of a student’s life.
“There are many goals of [the] class,” Salis said, “One of the main goals, in addition to community building, goal-setting and literacy development, is to learn critical thinking skills that can be used beyond the walls of the classroom.”
The partnership between SMUHSD and SBPSD is scheduled to last through June 30.
