ELL News Headlines

New York University's (NYU) move to waive medical school tuition apparently answered cynics, boosting applications by 47% while more than doubling those from underrepresented groups, Inside Higher Ed reported. The school saw the largest increase among African American, black and Afro-Caribbean applicants.

Girl Scouts CEO Sylvia Acevedo said she was excited to be invited to be an Auditorium Speaker at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Seattle because she wanted to say thank you. "Libraries and librarians changed my life. I would not be who I am today without libraries and librarians," she told the crowd, which included a few young Girl Scouts in their distinctive green uniforms and badges.

Less than three weeks into her tenure as Denver schools superintendent, Susana Cordova stood in the lobby of the district’s downtown headquarters Friday afternoon and apologized. Ringed by television cameras, Cordova said she was shocked the evening before to learn that a district human resources employee had sent an email to schools on Tuesday that said immigrant teachers working in Denver Public Schools on visas would be reported to immigration authorities if they participated in an impending teacher strike. "This was wrong," said Cordova, flanked by three Denver school board members. "I cannot begin to express how shocked I was to learn of this message, and how deeply sorry I am for the anxiety and fear this has caused our educators, our families, and our community."

Larry Ferlazzo’s question of the week is, "How do you promote speaking with English-language learners?" Today's answers come from Sandra C. Figueroa, Cecilia Pattee, Barbara Gottschalk,  Michael D. Toth, Becky Corr, and Susan Michalski.

A racial justice organization says Denver Public Schools is intimidating immigrant teachers who are considering striking, but district officials called it an error.

To be considered a Hispanic Serving Institution, 25 percent of a college's population must be Hispanic. Right now, there are 492 HSIs in the U.S., but David Ortiz with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities says that will change soon.

English language learners are underrepresented in STEM fields, in both college and on the job. To understand how education can better work with these students (who could speak one of 350 different languages in the United States) is the topic of a new report from the National Academy of Sciences. "English Learners in STEM Subjects" has three broad sections: a background on English learners, effective strategies for preparing teachers to work with English learners in STEM subjects and how to transform STEM learning itself for the students.

Lawmakers heard a bill recently that would provide state funds for school district programs helping English learners. Rep. Sharon Stewart Peregoy, D-Crow Agency, told members of the House Education Committee that House Bill 18 came from the State-Tribal Relations Committee, and would help students who have limited English proficiency to the point where it is hurting their academic performance. She said the largest number of the 3,000 students in that category are Native American, making up 2 percent of the total student population in Montana.

After nearly two years of a heated contract dispute that resulted in a massive teacher strike, the Los Angeles school district and teachers' union have reached a tentative agreement. The deal includes a 6 percent pay raise for teachers, class-size reductions that will take place over the next four years, and more school nurses, counselors, and librarians. The district has also agreed to create 30 community schools, which have wraparound social services for students, as well as a focus on the arts. The union has also formed a task force with the district to look for ways to create more green spaces on school grounds, and created an "immigrant defense fund" to protect immigrant students and families.

The 2016 National Teacher of the Year has joined the House committee that oversees K-12 education. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., has become a member of the House education committee — which Democrats have rechristened from the House Education and Workforce Committee to the House Education and Labor Committee — once the House Democratic Caucus approves recommendations for new committee assignments Tuesday.