Entry #33: Addressing parent language
barriers with the creative use of technology
San Diego, CA -- Why didn't I keep up my Spanish? I took
3 years in high school and one in college but yet, here I was, sitting next
to parent Maria Luna and all I could remember was "Como se llama?"
(What is your name?).
While attending a parent recognition event at Wilson Academy Middle School,
I realized how difficult it would be to know what is going on at school
for a non-English speaking parent.
Besides the "normal" difficulties in getting schools and parents
to work together, most of the schools in the greater San Diego area deal
with significant language barriers. While attending the PASS (Parent Alliance
for School Standards) recognition, I learned that 75 percent of Wilson's
1,500 students speak a language other than English at home. Yet that didn't
stop several parents from becoming involved in this core group created to
be leaders at this school (see photo).
PASS is in its fourth year and headed by Ellen Yaffa, a communication specialist
with Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) San Diego. Through a grant from the
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, PASS is targeting the middle schools in
the area, using a community development model to empower parents, create
communication links, educate about standards and ultimately, raise student
achievement. As each of five middle school parent groups reviewed their
accomplishments for the year, I found myself quite impressed.
A few days earlier, as I looked around the auditorium at O'Farrell Community
School (another PASS school), I was amazed at the diversity of the audience
attending a New Parent Orientation. I learned that there were Laotian, Vietnamese,
Hispanic, Hmong and Filipino families among the 200+ in attendance.
What really caught my eye, though, was a man sitting down in the corner,
talking into a microphone during the entire program. Afterward, I found
out he is Thomas Morales, a translation specialist with the San Diego Unified
School District. He was translating "live" into Spanish for some
of the parents in attendance. By using portable transmitters and small headsets,
he and seven other specialists can discretely translate for up to 100 people.
With different channels available on the headsets, they could also translate
into four different languages at the same event!!
Technology has many other applications in the battle to educate and involve
parents. Ellen showed me some of the videotapes available to her parent
groups. After previewing several, I realized the power of video. Everything
from homework to standards can be covered through interesting footage. In
fact, one tape produced by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation covered use
of all the basics such as backpacks, notebooks and agenda planners -- but
in Spanish.
I tried to follow along, but alas, only caught bits and pieces.
O'Farrell has a dream to present every family a video upon registration,
outlining what they need to do to insure student success (with the instructions
to watch it together and come back to school with any questions). This could
be a very powerful means to reach those disconnected families, especially
if the tapes are available in their "home" language.
Besides the Clark videos
on standards and preparation, I watched others produced by Lee
Canter on discipline and homework as well as The
Parent Institute's Getting Ready for Parent-Teacher Conferences available
in several languages. While I know some schools have these resources, wouldn't
it be nice to get this simple format into the hands of every parent? VCR's
seem to be in the vast majority of our homes.
Then, even though Maria and I can't say much to each other, at least we
would both know how to help our kids succeed.
From sunny San Diego,
Darrell
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Wilson Academy Middle School's Parent Alliance for School Standards