Aldine ISD FACE Initiative Earns MASBA Award for Supporting English Learners

For some parents, learning English means navigating a doctor’s office, applying for a job, or communicating with a child’s teacher.

For others, it can mean something even more personal: understanding and communicating with their own children.

That connection is at the heart of an Aldine ISD Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Department initiative that recently received statewide recognition from the Mexican American School Boards Association (MASBA).

Aldine ISD earned the Outstanding English Language Learner Initiative Award at MASBA’s 2026 Recognition of Excellence Awards for its Pathway to Become Bilingual program, offered through the district’s Family and Community University.

The program provides parents and caregivers with opportunities to learn English as a second language (ESL) through a structured curriculum led by certified bilingual teachers. But its impact reaches beyond language instruction, helping families build confidence, strengthen relationships, and become more connected to their children’s education and their communities.

More Than an English Class

The Pathway to Become Bilingual was incorporated into Family and Community University four years ago. Since then, more than 300 parents have graduated from the district’s ESL classes.

The program recognizes that parents are not simply learning a new language. They are balancing work, family responsibilities, and the everyday challenges of navigating life in a different language and, for some, a different culture.

Lessons connect to real-life experiences, including communicating with schools, visiting doctors’ offices, shopping, applying for jobs, managing finances, and accessing health and government services.

The program also incorporates technology skills, giving parents experience with tools such as Zoom and Google Meet while helping them access online resources that have become part of both education and everyday life.

“This program is about so much more than learning English,” said Iván Tamayo, FACE specialist. “It’s about giving parents the confidence to communicate with their children, advocate for their families, and feel more connected to their schools and communities. When a parent tells us, ‘Now, I can communicate with my children,’ that is when we know the work is making a real difference.”

The program’s 2026 evaluation responses reinforce that broader impact. Among 96 responses, parents highlighted increased confidence when speaking in public and workplace settings, improved language skills, stronger communication at work and at home, greater interaction with their children and teachers, and appreciation for the support provided by instructors and administrators.

The online format also helped parents balance learning with work and family responsibilities.

“Now, I Can Communicate With My Children”

Perhaps the clearest example of the program’s impact came during the Family and Community University 2026 graduation ceremony.

One parent shared a simple but powerful reflection:

“Now, I can communicate with my children.”

She went on to describe her daughter’s reaction:

“My daughter tells me, ‘Oh Mom, now you understand us.'”

For the FACE Department, that moment captured why the program matters.

Language barriers can affect more than a family’s ability to communicate with a school or navigate a community. They can also create distance inside a home when parents and children increasingly communicate in different languages.

The Pathway to Become Bilingual seeks to address that challenge without asking families to leave their heritage language behind.

Instead, the program promotes bilingualism as a source of pride, connection and opportunity — helping parents develop the English skills they need while continuing to value the language and culture they bring to their families.

“We know that when families are supported, our students are supported,” said Latasha Abrams, executive director of FACE. “The Pathway to Become Bilingual gives parents a place to learn, grow, and build confidence while honoring the language and culture they bring with them. We are not asking families to choose between their heritage language and English. We are helping them build the skills and connections that allow them to thrive in both worlds.”

Creating Pathways for Families

The program’s impact is also reflected in the opportunities that have emerged for parents themselves.

Many participants have reported increased workplace confidence and improved communication in their daily lives.

Three former Family and Community University students, encouraged and supported by their teachers, went a step further: They applied for and were hired as paraprofessionals with Aldine ISD.

Their stories demonstrate that the program is not simply helping parents learn English. It is helping participants recognize and pursue possibilities for themselves and their families.

That work aligns with Aldine ISD’s Accelerate strategic plan, which places students at the center while emphasizing supportive environments, belonging, strong relationships, and systems that help families and students thrive. The district’s Students First priority specifically calls for authentic, positive relationships among students, staff, and families.

In that sense, investing in parents is also an investment in students.

“At Aldine, we believe that when we invest in families, we invest in our students and in the future of our community,” said Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney. “The Pathway to Become Bilingual is a beautiful example of what happens when we create meaningful opportunities for families to learn, connect, and grow together. This recognition from MASBA celebrates the work of our FACE team, but more importantly, it celebrates the parents who continue to invest in their growth and their families’ futures. And I hope it gives them one more reason to #ChooseAldine.”

Connection, Opportunity and #ChooseAldine

As Aldine ISD begins the 2026-27 school year under the theme #ChooseAldine, this recognition illustrates #ChooseAldine in action.

It means creating opportunities for parents to learn.

It means building stronger connections between families and schools.

And it means believing that when families are supported and empowered, students benefit, too.

MASBA recognized Aldine ISD for its tailored curriculum and dedicated resources that create an inclusive learning environment and empower English learners. But for the families who have walked through the doors of Family and Community University, the impact can be measured in something much more personal: confidence, connection, and the ability to participate more fully in their children’s lives.

For Aldine ISD, the Pathway to Become Bilingual reminds us that when we invest in families, we strengthen the entire community — one conversation, one opportunity, and one family at a time.