Change Can Happen
Humboldt Senior High is like many urban schools. Humboldt’s students filter into cliques -- and usually stay there. But things can change. Last year, Humboldt and the surrounding community became a model of solidarity, rallying behind an event that hadn’t occurred in decades: The boys’ soccer team was on a winning streak.
September 2008
A Diverse Population Enriches School District
To determine her district’s future demographics, Mary Fertakis picks up a newspaper and scans the international section. Tukwila has been designated as a refugee relocation area by the International Rescue Committee and other organizations. It’s a safe haven for those fleeing oppression and host to one of the most diverse suburban school districts in the country.
September 2008
A Town Unified by Schools
Socks. The Somali children needed socks -- and coats, hats, mittens, scarves, and boots, too. Refugees from the arid African plains, the sandal-clad children and their parents were not prepared for the bone-chilling winters in their new home in Lewiston, Maine. Lewiston City Schools were not prepared for the Somalis, either.
September 2008
Representation and Inspiration
Visitors to the Salt Lake City school district’s website won’t have any trouble distinguishing Alama Uluave from the other board members. A Polynesian immigrant, Uluave is the district’s only nonwhite board member. But as the area’s minority population grows, so does the significance of his presence on the board.
September 2008
Racing Against Time
A veteran in guiding students through transcripts, Judy Schilling volunteered for one of Norcross High School’s most daunting assignments: navigating its diverse and growing population of English language learners (ELLs) toward graduation. Her job entails a sense of urgency that she deftly yet calmly describes as “a race against time.”
September 2008
From 'Rock Bottom' to the Top
When Sandra Jimenez became principal of Langley Park-McCormick Elementary, she hoped to turn the failing school into a valuable resource for the low-income, Hispanic community in Hyattsville, Md. She started by filling her office with squash. Besides food giveaways, the school sponsors clothing drives, medical care, financial aid programs, and parent education classes.
September 2008
A Divided Community
As the U.S. economy worsens, places that welcomed inexpensive labor during the 1990s economic boom have reversed course. Undocumented workers are now targets. This is true in Prince William County, Va., an exurb of Washington, D.C., but the county’s school district leadership has been largely silent on the issue of illegal immigration.
September 2008
A Safe Haven
For generations, public schools have served non-English speaking children, helping them assimilate into American culture while turning a deaf ear to their parents’ immigration status. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to shut out the noise amid immigration raids and airwaves filled with debate about amnesty and border security.
September 2008
Immigration and Diversity:The Next Generation
Our public schools mirror our nation, and today’s generation of students is more diverse and mobile than ever. Almost half of the record 50 million students entering U.S. schools this fall are minorities. For this series, ASBJ’s editors examined how this new wave of diversity affects school districts.
September 2008