ELL News Headlines

Those who study and write about children's books will mark 2021 as a significant year because it is the year that Heartdrum (an imprint of HarperCollins) released several books written and illustrated by Native people.

A local independent publishing house has released a new collection of bilingual learn-to-read books geared toward Pacific Islander native speakers in an attempt to build literacy among kids and promote multilingualism in the islands.

A large increase in the number of students with a first language other than English in Clinton, CT is prompting the local school district to look at options for an in-district bilingual education program.

The New York Public Library has a new teen center at one of its midtown Manhattan branches. It offers fun and educational activities, programs, and events to help young adults learn, grow, and thrive as they continue out of the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

School's a little different this year, so art teachers are using their classes to help kids cope. After spending months trying to get used to remote learning, now kids are struggling to adjust to being in school in person again. Health experts recently declared the decline in children and adolescents' mental health a "national emergency." As schools grapple with the social and emotional effects of the pandemic on students, music, theater and other art teachers are trying to help.

In a July survey, 97% of school food service directors across the country said they are concerned about supply chain disruptions and 90% said they were concerned about staffing shortages. Food service directors are struggling to source enough products for school cafeterias in the face of shortages of food to serve, workers to heat it, plates to serve it on, and refrigerators to store it in.

Making a change to classroom instruction can be complex, confusing, and even overwhelming. Educators may have reservations about shifting their teaching approach as they consider student response, increased time commitment, or lack of support. They also may not know how to take the leap. But taking the leap to project-based learning is well worth the effort. Moving toward a PBL teaching approach includes many potential benefits for educators and students alike.

Secretary Miguel Cardona grew up in a Puerto Rican household in Meriden, Connecticut; Spanish was his first language. On his first day of kindergarten, he couldn’t speak any English. It was overwhelming, to say the least, and he wanted to go back home. His mother had to pick him up. But, of course, his time inside schools didn’t end there. He returned, loved it, and eventually became the first person in his family to attend college; he majored in Education. He started teaching fourth grade in the same middle school he attended as a child in Meriden. To this day, being around kids brings him some of his greatest joys.

The stories and videos in this report examine how school systems today are successfully recruiting and retaining people of color to craft K-12 policies.

Two tribally enrolled women made history when the American Library Association awarded the Caldecott Medal to their book, We Are Water Protectors. Carole Lindstrom, the author of We Are Water Protectors, is tribally enrolled at Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, and Michaela Goade, the illustrator, is Tlingit, a member of the Kiks.ådi Clan.