TAILIEUCHUNG - Speaking the Same Language
In 1992, one of those future teachers was still toiling in the orchards and fields of Central Washington, struggling to learn English, and dreaming of a return to teaching. Alfonso Lopez was born in a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico. By the time he arrived in Wenatchee in his mid-20s, he had already struggled through more adversity than many people face in a lifetime. The son of poor farmers, he managed to attend col- lege and earn his teaching degree and later a master’s degree in social science. Lopez taught for five years in rural schools in Oaxaca. Often, he served as principal as well as teacher and was also. | Speaking the Same LANGUAGE A high-poverty school in North Central Washington uses progressive hiring practices and a dual-language approach to close the achievement gap. Story and photos by BRACKEN REED WENATCHEE, Washington—When Principal Connie Strawn “What’s best for the kids? What do the kids need?” Her arrived at Lewis & Clark Elementary in 1992 she could barely answers led her to two decisions that would help shape the speak a word of Spanish. “I couldn’t even pronounce Span- future of the school. First, she would embrace the diversity ish names correctly,” she recalls. At the time, nearly 20 per- in a purely personal way, by learning as much Spanish and as cent of the students at the school were native Spanish much about Latino culture as she could fit into her busy speakers, many of whom had recently arrived from Mexico. schedule. Second, she would actively seek out bilingual, A small agricultural city on the eastern slope of the Cas- native Spanish-speaking teachers and staff members at every cade Mountains in North Central Washington, Wenatchee opportunity. was in the middle of a seismic demographic shift. New tech- nologies, changing immigration policies, and other global JOURNEY TO THE CLASSROOM market forces were combining to alter the normal migration In 1992, one of those future teachers was still toiling in the of agricultural workers. With the work year expanding, more orchards and fields of Central Washington, struggling to migrant laborers were staying on after the fruit harvest and learn English, and dreaming of a return to teaching. Alfonso choosing to make a permanent home in the Wenatchee Val- Lopez was born in a small village in Oaxaca, Mexico. By the ley. The percentage of English language learner students— time he arrived in Wenatchee in his mid-20s, he had already nearly all native Spanish speakers—began to rise struggled through more adversity than many people face in a astronomically throughout the district. Experts predicted lifetime.
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