ELL News Headlines

Throughout the Falmouth, MA school district, 5.8 percent of students are in English Language Development classes, and that number has been increasing steadily over the years. In 2011, just one percent of students were in ELD classes.

Ethnic media outlets can be a lifeline for new immigrants who lack a firm grasp of English. They introduce their readers to civic life in America and to each other. They can be especially helpful in places like New Jersey, where communities are spread out rather than concentrated in big cities. Sino Monthly, with six people on the payroll, never aimed to be a paper of record. In fact, it is one, having become a staple for New Jersey's Chinese community.

After María Mejía's son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in preschool, the question of where he should go to kindergarten focused entirely on his special education needs. Mejía and her husband, Spanish-speaking immigrants from the Dominican Republic, only later learned that Joangel, now 7, would have been an ideal candidate for one of the four elementary schools in Boston that teach students in both English and Spanish, Joangel’s first language. Experts say such programs offer English learners the best chance at academic success. BPS has pledged to start dozens more. But kids like Joangel, who have individualized education plans, are often left out, their families unwittingly forced to place them into English-only special education programs to help meet their learning needs. Mejía said she was shocked when she learned there was an alternative.

Outside Chevak School, in western Alaska, the lake is ice, and the snowy tundra unfurls to the Bering Sea. But that doesn't stop new, first-grade teacher Amelia Tulim from trying to lighten the mood with an outdoor egg hunt. Inside the colorful plastic eggs: small, animal-shaped erasers.

Spirits, magic, mythology, and more — take a look at these fantasy YA novels that School Library Journal recommends for Pride Month during June.

In Texas today, a judge will hear the latest challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes talks to Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, a bipartisan organization lobbying for immigration reform, and Norma Ramirez, a beneficiary of the program.

A group of small children sits cross-legged with their teacher, Steve Mejía-Menendez, on a round carpet. He's a pre-K teacher at Lee Montessori Public Charter School's campus in Southeast Washington, D.C., and although I'm here to meet him, I almost don't spot him because he's eye level with his students.

Vivek H. Murthy is the surgeon general of the United States. In this column, he writes, "When I travel around the country talking with parents, the No. 1 question they ask me has to do with social media: “Is it safe for my kids?” Nearly 70 percent of parents say their job is harder now than it was for parents 20 years ago, mainly because of technology and social media."

More than 30 Ukrainian refugee students are wrapping up their first full school year in Topeka USD 501. Pilar Mejia, director of cultural innovation for the district, gave an update to the Topeka Board of Education on Thursday.

Tan Huynh and Beth Skelton have agreed to answer a few questions about their new book, Long Term Success For Experienced Multilinguals.