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Buy-lingual: A WAFF 48 News special report

By Mark Thornhill - bio | email

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF)- Alabama schools are in dire straights right now, with leaders scrambling to find enough money to teach our children.

There have been cuts to staff, supplies and programs, but there's one program that can't be touched. 

It's called "English as a Second Language", or ESL. It's a great program, but in these tough times, you may be ask if it's worth the cost, especially, since you're paying for it.

10-year old Jorge Estrada is a 5th grader at Mcdonnell Elementary in Huntsville.  He comes from hispanic heritage and is quickly learning English.  His dad can also speak English, but his mom can't.

Zunilda Rodriguez was also in the ESL program.  She's now teaching kindergarten at Mcdonnell Elementary. "I do understand how these kids feel because I was in their position," she said.

Rodriguez said she couldn't speak a word of English when her family moved here, and neither could her mother, who was a single-parent.   The ESL program taught Rodriguez English when her mother wasn't able to.

"We have a responsibility to teach all of our children," said Ann Marie Batista, who is the ESL program coordinator for Huntsville City Schools.

Six of the 11 largest ESL programs in the state are in northern Alabama.  They are the programs in Dekalb County, Decatur City, Huntsville City, Albertville City, Ft. Payne City and Russellville City Schools.
 
ESL is a nationwide program that's federally-mandated, so even during proration, it can't be cut.

"We're not providing so much extra support for English learners that other students are not getting anything," said Batista.

ESL is funded by our federal and state tax dollars. The price tag for this program in Alabama in the 2010 budget is more than 6.3 million dollars for 19,602 students.

Some in our society might question the cost or the program being financially "bullet-proof".  Also, what about personal accountability?  In other words, why aren't the parents solely responsible for teaching their children and themselves English when they move here.

Batista said, "That's not our role...our role is to enroll students and educate students."

"They have to learn english to be able to succeed," said Albertville Mayor Lindsey Lyons.  That's why a resolution was passed in Albertsville making English the official language of the city.

There's a large hispanic population there, but when it comes to cost of the ESL program, he does have concerns.

"When they come here and try to make a better life for themselves, they don't need to do it on the backs of this state or this country," said Mayor Lyons.

He and many others understand that there's only so much money to go around for our children's education.

"We don't want our children to suffer from proration and the effects of it when it comes to proper funding of their classes too," he said.

The school superintendents of Alabama are pushing for an increase of 500 dollars per student in the ESL program.   However, people like Mayor Lyons, are questioning that effort.  Lyons said, "I don't see how that could be feasible when they're cutting back everywhere else."

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