Education Week: The value of representation

Written by Reach University | Jan 30, 2023 5:00:00 AM

In Education Week's multi-part series, Ileana Najarro spotlights the efforts of Russellville City School District's Superintendent, Dr. Heath Grimes, to effectively serve a growing Spanish-speaking population, who represent 25% of the district's students and over 40% of Russellville's 11,000 residents.

In part of the series, Elizabeth Alonzo, a Reach University candidate and English Learner (EL) Aide, provides perspective and insights on her journey into education, working towards her debt-free B.A., and the day in the life of a mission-critical EL Aide.

Elizabeth shares her full experience and explains the value of representation and why it matters here.

Dive into the first three stories within the series:

PART 1 | A Burgeoning Success Story: In one small Alabama city, prioritizing English learners is the new normal. Learn how the district's efforts have paid off.
PART 2 | Gains Under Threat: With funding unstable and major challenges facing secondary students, Russellville’s English learner journey remains tenuous.
Why Support for English Learners Matters: A bilingual aide now provides the support she didn't get as a former English learner. Read her story.

From Education Week: To meet the needs of a growing English learner population, Russellville City Schools has hired 10 new bilingual aides, including Elizabeth Alonzo, pictured here before a class at West Elementary on Dec. 9, 2022. Photo credit: Tamika Moore for Education Week

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