ELL News Headlines

Samantha Sencer-Mura easily won her election Tuesday to represent south Minneapolis in the state House. She will be the first Japanese-American to serve in the Minnesota Legislature. In an interview before the election, she told Sahan Journal that funding education is a top priority. “Increasing teachers of color, funding full-service community schools, making sure that special education and English language learners are being supported: those are all things that teachers are asking for—begging for,” she said. “And I think, especially with everything that schools and teachers have been through over the last few years, I think those needs really need to be centered.”

Several Latinos made history in the midterm elections, even as votes were still being tallied Wednesday in many parts of the country. According to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, Latinos ran for top offices in 44 of the nation's 50 states, representing different political parties.

A University of Texas Permian Basin professor and a graduate student want to show the world what Mariachi mean to Hispanic culture and identity. “We actually want to make sure that our students feel proud of who they are,” Tomas Espinosa, assistant professor of ESL/Bilingual Education, said.

In a state where 2 in 5 public school students speak languages other than English at home, teachers need more collaborative and hands-on professional development to help bring California’s English learners to proficiency in English, educators and parents agreed during an EdSource roundtable on Thursday.

Schools across the country are working to address an increase in students’ and staff members’ mental health needs post-pandemic. Now, some have hired new administrators charged with making well-being a communitywide endeavor.

Three…two…one…LIFTOFF! The second annual STEAM Race to Space Reading Challenge launches Friday, encouraging children throughout Orange County to read books related to science, technology, the arts and math in exchange for some out-of-this world incentives.

The city of St. Louis is struggling to cope with the aftermath of a high school shooting. On Monday, a 19-year-old gunman killed teacher Jean Kuczka and 15-year-old student Alexandria Bell and wounded many others. With residents still on edge, local officials are facing growing pressure to address gun violence. Communities reporter Gabrielle Hays joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the latest.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) recently announced awards of nearly $120 million over five years under the National Professional Development Program (NPD) to support educators of multilingual learners.

According to Human Rights Watch, 32,000 people passed through the Darién Gap in August, a treacherous 66-mile stretch of jungle that straddles the border between Panama and Colombia. That's 40 times more than the same month last year and includes migrants from around the world. Many of the current migrants include families with young children who must navigate deep mud, swift river currents, and steep mountains — as well as the dangers of theft, sexual assault, and travel along drug and human trafficking routes. What's it like to trek through the Darién Gap? And why are so many more migrants choosing to make this week-long journey?

A child who does not speak English is made to enroll in school online — in a language they don’t understand. A young Ukrainian refugee is told district staff won’t translate records from home, delaying their start date. Kristina Moon, senior attorney with the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, has fielded such reports from across the state — all tied to a recent wave of new arrivals. She and other immigrant advocates say it’s the type of discrimination that grows when these children come to the United States in numbers as they are now, with many speaking uncommon languages.