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LAFAYETTE (
July 7, 2008
Schools, immigrants adapt over time
When Martha Trinidad Campos moved from Zacatecas, Mexico, to Lafayette
with her husband and three teenage children last year, she said the
process of enrolling her children was difficult.
She had limited English, and her children had even less.
"I came here (to Jefferson High School) by myself to see who I could
find here to help me to enroll my students," Trinidad Campos said
through a translator.
"I had all the papers, the documents, but I didn't know what it was like
here."
Her situation is not uncommon. As more immigrants and children of
immigrants move into Greater Lafayette schools, families aren't the only
ones having to adapt. Schools and teachers are too.
Many of the families came for the same reason as Trinidad Campos: a
better education, which they hope leads to a better life.
"I had one parent tell me that coming to school in America was like
sending the child to a private school. It's that kind of education,"
said Joyce Walker, a Miami Elementary teacher who teaches full-day
kindergarten in a class with mostly Hispanic students.
An education for every child
All it takes to enroll a child in school in Indiana is a birth
certificate, an up-to-date immunization record and proof of residence.
Which country issued the birth certificate, where the family moved from
and which language the child speaks are irrelevant. As residents of the
state, they're entitled to an education.
Mida Grover, who oversees the English as a Second Language and migrant
student programs for the Lafayette School Corp., said schools can't ask
if someone is here legally or illegally.
"It's something we don't discuss," Grover said. "We just try to provide
them the help."
Indiana Department of Education policy states, "No child should be
denied enrollment in public schools (K-12) in Indiana due to immigration
status."
In fact, children of immigrants are governed by the same compulsory
attendance requirement as all other children.
Grover and school principals interviewed said the number of newly
arrived immigrant families has declined in recent years as immigration
laws have grown stricter.
"We don't see it as much anymore," Glen Acres Principal Karen Combs
said.
However, the number of Hispanic students needing help with English
continues to rise due to growth of immigrant families already here.
Grover, who frequently visits Hispanic families in their homes, said
when immigrant children are born in the United States they become
citizens even if their parents are not citizens. That gives rise to
unstable situations and concerns about being separated.
"New immigrants now are rare," Grover said. "Now what's very interesting
is we're getting families trying to get their documentation. Kids were
born here in the United States, but then the parents have to go back."
Glen Acres Elementary had the highest percentage of Hispanic students in
Tippecanoe County last year, 31.5 percent of the school's total
enrollment.
Combs said the shift from new immigrant arrivals to students born
locally has allowed Glen Acres to move beyond English language basics
and include other areas where students may be lacking knowledge.
She gives an example of an essay a class was asked to write about polar
bears. Many Hispanic students didn't know what a polar bear looked like.
"Now, we're working on a very different issue: taking kids from where
they are when they start, to where they are expected to be," Combs said.
English: The greatest barrier
School officials, teachers, parents and kids all cited not being able to
effectively communicate through English as the greatest barrier.
Though many schools have added bilingual staff members and make key
documents available in both English and Spanish, communication can be
frustrating for families and school staff.
Parent/teacher conferences or calls to the school office are an area of
special concern. Some LSC schools host two nights of parent/teacher
conferences -- one in English and one with Spanish translators.
In addition to having three people on staff at Glen Acres Elementary who
can translate, Combs said she's been learning Spanish on her own.
Combs said she's able to understand about 70 percent of what's said in
Spanish if the person speaks slowly. If she can't understand what a
Hispanic parent is trying to say and a bilingual teacher isn't available
to translate, she'll ask the child to translate as a last resort.
"Inevitably, there is some frustration," Combs said. "Parents know I'm
trying. They're trying hard to understand the school culture and know
it's important."
Beyond the parents, the real battle is waged in the classrooms. For
students just learning English, understanding a class taught in English
is a major challenge.
Yet such students are expected to perform as well as any other student
and to complete the same coursework. If they hope to graduate, they're
expected to pass the state tests; if they don't, their scores count
against the school.
For Trinidad Campos' oldest son, Ismael, that was a challenge. When he
first came to enroll last summer, he said the counselors suggested he
start back a year, as a junior.
The idea was he would have a year to learn English and then take the
senior-level classes. Instead, Ismael Contreras-Trinidad graduated from
Jeff High School in May with less than a year of English. This fall, he
begins at Ivy Tech Community College.
He said senior year was a real struggle, especially taking the ACT
college entrance exam.
"I thought it was going to be an easy test," Contreras-Trinidad said.
"But when I went into the classroom where I was going to be, I didn't
know anybody there, and everybody was very quiet.
"When they began to give the test, I started to see all the problems in
English. It was really difficult. But it was a good experience."
Grover said her proudest moments are seeing students like Ismael get
involved in school and graduate. Because she knows their struggles, she
appreciates their successes that much more.
"What I tell a lot of other kids is you guys can do it," Grover said.
"Maybe you have family challenges. Maybe you have no money. But
remember, your parents came here for you guys. Maybe right now you're
resentful. But that's what they're doing. They want a better life for
you."
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