Often, education is not a priority among immigrant/refugee families because economic demands and language barriers keep parents from being active at school. Many parents did not have education as a priority when they were children and may not understand or embrace their role in helping with their youngster’s education. Add to that the challenge ELL children face because they must master the curriculum while learning the English language in three forms: speaking, reading and writing. This challenge is almost never recognized nor understood by those of us whose native language is English.
The school qualifies for one part-time ELL teacher, funded by the Des Moines Public Schools. Our budget also funds one full-time ELL teacher. We are the only private school in Iowa to make that commitment.
Language barriers and poverty typically yield a high number of students with special needs in reading and math. The school qualifies for a full-time Title 1 reading teacher and a part-time Title 1 math teacher.
One full-time resource teacher works with any child needing academic assistance, although the majority of her students are English Language Learners who have only been at Holy Family a couple of years. ELL students who enroll in the lower elementary grades tend not to need extra assistance by the time they are in middle school.
All parents are required to check their child’s school planner each day. Parents who cannot speak English receive assistance from our native-language (Hispanic) tutor, whose position is funded by a grant.
Current work is under way for access to technology for the parents to be enhanced and expanded because of a lack of computers in the home.