Currently, ESL teachers Julia Filoso and Drew Bradshaw are facing a new challenge: students classified as “newcomers” will take their first classes at Highland Park, along with all the other “newcomers” in the 501 district.
The ESL program at Topeka High, consisting of around 200 studens, has four different levels, with the first being the newcomer program. As students advance in the ESL program, their level of content increases, going from “survival skills” to understanding the English language.
According to Filoso, the purpose of the ESL program is to teach the principles of the English language to non-native English speakers.
“We’re helping kids get better at English. We are focusing on the English language and not language arts,” Filoso said.
There are a few stages in the ESL program: newcomers, foundations classes and ESL.
According to ESL teacher Drew Bradshaw, a newcomer is any student who does not speak English as a primary language and has been in the United States for less than 12 months. In the ESL program, the goal of the newcomer stage is to teach survival skills, such as protection from natural disasters and how to access low-cost medical services.
“The goal is not 100% learning English, it’s learning survival skills and learning how to assimilate into North American culture. And so you’ll learn things like, in Kansas, we have tornadoes,” Bradshaw said.
The district required all newcomers to attend Highland Park starting this semester for the duration of the newcomer program before transitioning to their home school. According to Bradshaw, the move will only amplify the academic struggles associated with moving to a new place and the large gaps in education many students had.
“There’s huge, huge gaps in education,” Bradshaw said. “So when people think of ESL, they think the first thing that’s ‘wrong’ with them is that they don’t speak English. Sometimes, it’s teaching them how to get groceries, how to be safe, things like that. Once those needs are met, then we focus on academics. “
However, the Highland Park move is not the only challenge the ESL department faces; there’s also a lack of specialized teachers.
In the ESL program, English Language Learners (ELL) can only get “minutes” from teachers with a certification. Not all teachers with an ESL certification teach ESL classes. This can lead to a heavy schedule for ESL teachers.
“Last year, I taught eight classes,” Bradshaw said. “Most teachers don’t do that. They might have eight separate hours, but I was teaching a different subject each hour because we’re short on teachers.”
There are lots of expectations for the ESL program since the number of students has only increased in recent years. A concern Bradshaw and Filoso had was the number of qualified teachers to help.
“All of the newcomers are automatically at a disadvantage because they are here from another country,” Bradshaw said. “[A lack of teachers] is going to amplify challenges these students are already facing.”
