CPS works to address Hispanic education issues

COLUMBUS - Issues concerning Hispanic families and their children are being addressed by Columbus school officials.

Topics including English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, dress codes and block scheduling were discussed Thursday at El Tapatio between officials, parents and citizens.

Columbus Public Schools Superintendent Paul Hillyer said there is a high failure rate among Hispanics.

“Sixty percent of dropouts are from the Hispanic population,” Hillyer said. “How can we encourage them to finish?”

Dee Condon, an ESL and migrant reading coordinator for CPS, said she knew of a Hispanic student who had recently dropped out.

“He was a senior. He had made it that far” but didn't finish, Condon said, perhaps because the student had difficulty speaking English.

A primary concern is the school's ability to overcome the language barrier with Hispanic students and parents. Condon said getting parents involved is a missing element.

One suggestion was to provide ESL classes for parents through the school system along with bilingual programs for both parents and youth.

The Columbus Public Library received a “Prime Time” grant from the Nebraska Humanities Council that would secure a two-year reading enrichment program for 25 to 30 low-income, low-literacy, Spanish-speaking families with children ages 6 to 10.

The program will begin April 25 and run for six consecutive weeks from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Condon said the program “encourages parents to read with their children at home. It teaches parents how to do better to make a child think.”

There was also talk of hosting ESL classes during the week at Columbus Middle School, but complications regarding scheduling, transportation and child care for participants has slowed the program's development.

Hillyer said he would consider trying to get companies currently providing ESL services to unify their efforts and work alongside CPS to provide classes at a centralized location.

A proposal also had been made by a parent to incorporate school uniforms into the system, a suggestion Hillyer and Columbus Middle School Principal Doug Kuth seemed open to the idea, but the majority of parents polled were not.

According to Kuth, 󈬰 percent of parents polled were against school uniforms,” but more than 50 percent of the middle school students seemed to be in favor of the proposal.

Uniforms were suggested in response to gang concerns and division amongst the student body.

Kuth said uniforms would “not be directed toward one socioeconomic group, cultural group or racial group. It would be directed toward everybody.”

“I don't like being reactive. I would rather be proactive,” he said, even if that means making some unpopular decisions regarding clothing.

Some of the half dozen people in attendance also voiced the need for changing to a block scheduling system.

Hillyer said people who attend mid-year would not have to make up a half year of classes.

Condon said with the block scheduling, the Hispanic senior might have continued his education and received his degree because he could have more clearly seen an end in sight.

In another effort to improve communication between Hispanic parents and the school system, Hillyer said he would like to host public meetings with the families.

Hillyer said he wants to have an “open forum in Spanish with questions and answers in Spanish” regarding concerns about the public school system.