Families & the Community Video

Parent Changemaker: Fighting to Remove Language Barriers for Families

January 18, 2018 3:43

Teresa Garcia was frustrated. Her Spanish was much better than her English, and that hindered her from communicating with her children’s teachers. She was hardly alone. In the Federal Way school district, north of Tacoma, Wash.,18 percent of the 22,500 students are native Spanish speakers. In all, students in the diverse district speak 118 different languages. “I couldn’t support my children in the best way that they deserve because I wasn’t able to speak English. I know that too many families need this information in their home language to support their children,” Garcia explains. Garcia and other parents worked with the district to change how schools communicate with families and to ensure information is translated into a host of languages. She also lobbied the state legislature to increase bilingual education statewide. “The most important advice that I can give to any parent,” Garcia says, “is don’t feel afraid to speak up. Don’t feel afraid to ask about what you need. Don’t feel afraid to go to the school and speak your language.”

Coverage of how parents work with educators, community leaders and policymakers to make informed decisions about their children’s education is supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, at waltonk12.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Video

Student Well-Being Video A Clinical Psychologist Offers Tips on Healthy Tech Use for Students
There’s a disconnect between parents and schools over who should take ownership of students’ tech use.
Classroom Technology Video In Defense of TikTok: A Teacher on the App's Power to Build Connections
This Texas teacher has built relationships through her TikTok platform, and worries what a ban will mean for her and her students.
2:25
Devotees of TikTok gather at the Capitol in Washington, as the House passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner doesn't sell, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Lawmakers contend the app's owner, ByteDance, is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok's consumers in the U.S.
Devotees of TikTok gather at the Capitol in Washington, as the House passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner doesn't sell, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Lawmakers contend the app's owner, ByteDance, is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok's consumers in the U.S.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Teaching Video Teachers, Try This: A Pen Pal Exchange to Improve Student Writing and Build Empathy
This class experiences so many benefits through the monthly letters they exchange with their pen pals at the local retirement home.
Special Education Video Inside an Inclusive Classroom: How Two Teachers Work Together
This model for inclusive education benefits students of all abilities, and the teachers instructing them.
1 min read