Aldine ISD’s Homegrown Bilingual Teacher Scholarship Program Helps Fill District Need

Bilingual teachers in demand as the English language learner population grows.

The Aldine community is growing. Already the district has surpassed the projected student population for 2014-2015.

“We surpassed the projection by more than 1,300 students (based on Oct. 31, 2014 Snaphot),” said Superintendent Dr. Wanda Bamberg. “Approximately 20 years ago, Aldine had a student population of 43,500. Of that figure, the district had a Hispanic population of 36%.

“Currently, we have more than 69,800 students and more than 70% of the population is Hispanic. We expect these figures to continue to rise.”

Bamberg added this entails a major need to meet the needs of the rising numbers of English language learners (ELLs). In 1993-1994, the district identified approximately 6,290 students as limited English proficient (LEP). Today, the Multilingual Department serves more than 20,000 ELLs in prekindergarten through 12th grade. That translates to nearly a 218% increase.

According to David Villarreal, one of the challenges is finding qualified bilingual educators. Villarreal serves as a director in human resources for AISD.

Villarreal leading the information session about the scholarship program.

Villarreal is not exaggerating. The Texas Education Agency says there is a significant lack of bilingual educators. There is also a demand for those specializing in special education and STEM-related fields. STEM is the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Aldine ISD is not the only urban school district having a problem in finding qualified bilingual teachers. The minority student populations are increasing across the country. At the current rate, nonwhites will be the majority of the population within a generation nationwide. Schools are on the frontline witnessing and experiencing this historic shift.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there were 4.4 million ELLs in public schools in 2011-2012. They represent many , different languages and ethnic groups, but the majority is Hispanic. Asian students represent the second largest group of ELLs. Texas has some of the largest proportions of ELLs in its school-age populations. They are also concentrated in low-income, urban schools.

Villarreal stated that it is not always easy to find teachers who not only speak Spanish but also can teach as well. Many districts recruit Spanish-speaking candidates beyond the U.S. borders to become bilingual/ESL teachers.

Recruiting teachers from suburban or even countries outside the U.S. can bring on other issues. A teacher may face cultural and socioeconomic differences they are unfamiliar with. They may not have experience working with low-income, urban students. Nor may they be familiar with different cultural, social and linguistic backgrounds. To avoid a high turnover rate, teachers must be well prepared.

Prospective candidates at the scholarship information session in Fall 2014.

“Aldine understands the importance of recruiting and retaining qualified bilingual teachers,” said Villarreal. “Bilingual teachers understand the process of second language acquisition. They know how to support learning for ELLs and they understand the needs of ELLs. They play an essential role in helping students succeed.“

To help meet the need, Aldine ISD developed its Homegrown Bilingual Scholarship Program. Candidates must be AISD paraprofessionals with two successful years in the district. They must be bilingual (English/Spanish), completed 48 college hours with a GPA of 2.5 or greater. There is an application process. The committee only selects 10 scholarship recipients per year.

Villarreal is hosting an informational meeting for prospective scholarship applicants on Thursday, Mar. 5. It will take place at 4 p.m. in the Teaching Theater at M.O. Campbell Educational Center (1865 Aldine Bender Rd.). Prospective candidates for the Fall 2015 Semester must be present at the meeting.

“I hope paraprofessionals who are eligible for the scholarship attend the meeting,” said Villarreal. “This is a great opportunity for those seeking to get their degree and who want to help students succeed.

“The Homegrown Bilingual Teacher Scholarship Program provides a win-win situation for everyone. The district wins by developing a pool of qualified bilingual educators. Scholarship recipients win by having the chance to earn their degree and teach. And more importantly, the students win by having their needs met in the classroom.”

Luis Lucio is a past recipient of the Homegrown Bilingual Teacher Scholarship Program. He currently serves as principal at Carroll Academy.