Teachers Gather in Peekskill to Learn New Ways of Teaching ELLs

The children in Mrs. Guzman’s Civics class at Peekskill Middle School are studying the Bill of Rights—a standard unit in New York State’s social studies curriculum. What’s different is that the hand-outs these students are reading are titled La Carta de Derechos—it’s the first ten amendments to the US Constitution in Spanish!

“Turn to page three, por favor,” said Mrs. Guzman.

“This is a Newcomers class,” explained Dan Callahan, Peekskill’s Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, to the group of educators standing in the back of the class. “This may be the first or second year these students are in this country. Ms. Guzman is a bilingual teacher. She starts the year teaching in Spanish, using Spanish resources, and will gradually introduce more English.”

Callahan was leading a tour of thirty-three teachers from sixteen different districts through Peekskill Schools. The visit, on October 18, was called the “ELL Road Trip.” It was organized by the Center for Educational Leadership, a program of Putnam | Northern Westchester BOCES. ELL stands for English Language Learners.

“I suggested we organize the road trip to Peekskill as so many districts are interested in new ways to serve the ELL population and I knew Peekskill had many great programs,” said Joan Thompson, Program Developer for the Center for Educational Leadership.

“I believe that all students should be able to maintain their original language,” said Mary Foster, Peekskill School District’s Interim Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education—who is focusing on bilingual education in her near-completed doctoral dissertation.

Foster explained translanguaging—the ELL game-changer that builds on, instead of burying, a student’s home language. “Our students are emergent bilinguals,” she said. “Mixing languages is natural—for teachers and students. Some phrases are more powerful in one language than another.”

Peekskill’s innovative ELL program was born out of necessity. The district’s Hispanic/Latino population has almost doubled in the past decade—with most of those students arriving with little or no English. The district’s embrace of the challenge and its openness to change has swept administrators, teachers, and even the cafeteria into its service. It is now one of the most robust, responsive, and cutting-edge ELL programs in the region.

“Our journey started four years ago when our population shifted,” said Callahan in a morning overview with the visiting teachers. “We went to Tarrytown, Ossining, and Danbury, where there were strong ELL programs. We saw little pockets of greatness. Everything you’ll see today we stole from someone else. And we want you to steal from us!”

The teachers visited Newcomers classes taught in Spanish as well as classes taught in English with bilingual support. Along the way, Callahan and Middle School Principal Jamal Lewis pointed out intentional choices that support the district’s ELL focus.

“We’ve hired a bilingual person to meet with each family at the point of registration,” said Callahan. “We got this idea from the Danbury School District. We get a sense of each child’s capacities and background from day one. Placement in the right class is crucial.”

“This is part of our multilingual ecology,” said Lewis, gesturing to the photos of children from cultures around the world hanging in the English class. “Andrew Weisman, our Director of Food Services, is also part of the initiative. He cooks everything from arroz con polloto Thai chicken quesadillas for lunch.”

“Content and language objectives are posted in most classrooms, district-wide, and in bilingual classes in English and Spanish,” said Callahan.

Teachers looked for ideas they could take back with them. In the English class, the library at the back of the class caught Lara Davidson’s eye.

“I’m trying to make a bilingual library for my students,” said Davidson, an ELL teacher in Somers. “It’s such a gift for parents to be able to read with their children. Where did you find these books?” she asked the teacher.

“I taught a remedial Living Environment class for ELL students who had failed the Regents last year. They needed a lot of help,” said Jacob Mancus, an ELL teacher in South Orangetown. “Teaching it in Spanish would help them access content better.”

Some of the most groundbreaking work at Peekskill School District is happening at the elementary level. The ELL Road Trip visited Woodside Elementary, a kindergarten and first grade school that features bilingual classrooms. Students learn all subjects using both English and Spanish. Little ones danced with their profesora in the Spanish-speakers’ classes, singing songs in their mother tongue to learn their letters.

High school is the proving ground for how well ELL programs are working, as there are Regents tests to pass. In the last few years, Peekskill High School has seen a 40% increase in students passing the English Regents, or getting a variance.

“Literacy is part of your responsibility here, no matter whether you are teaching English, math, or science,” said Rodney Arthur, Principal of Peekskill High School, to the visiting teachers. “We’re flooding kids with literacy. We’re also hiring the right people.”

“I’m an immigrant. My parents are from Trinidad. I was born in England. I had a green card. I get it,” said Arthur. “Our students want to be here. They want to learn. They have grit and resilience.”

“We don’t have that many ELL students at our district,” was a common thread in the visiting teachers’ conversations. “We don’t have the resources to do what they are doing here.”

Principal Arthur found an answer for them. He asked Christa Offenbacher, a veteran ELL teacher, what she sees as the primary tool in teaching English to newcomers. “Students need to feel comfortable,” said Offenbacher. “That opens them up to learning.”