Bi-lingual education on rise at local ISDs

Diboll educators are promoting a new system of bi-lingual education that will use a progressive, multi-year system to bring Spanish-speaking students up to full English proficiency.

A key to the system is that it teaches the children thinking skills, not just another language.

David Stokes, speech pathologist with the Diboll school district, says academic success, not language skills, is the object of the system.

"I just want (students) to be academically successful," Stokes said.

He explained that children who are prepared to learn can succeed in school, regardless of their language skills. This year, he said, Diboll has three students who moved here from Mexico City and attended firstclass schools there. They are

prospering here despite not knowing English.

Especially in subjects such as math and science, the subject matter transcends language and a well-prepared student can do well without knowing the language of instruction. He said the trio's teachers have told him they'd like to have 100 more students just like them, because they are eager to learn and do learn.

The system proposed for Diboll begins in pre-kindergarten, with instruction given 90 percent in Spanish and 10 percent in English. The language ratio decreases as the student advances until in the fifth grade, teaching is 50-50 and in the sixth grade all-English.

The biggest hurdle to implementing the program is teaching staff. Diboll now has five certified bi-ligual teachers, one of whom is at the high school and is not certified for primary levels.

"We need a whole lot more, that's for sure," Stokes said.

But Diboll is competing with other districts, particularly Lufkin, for bi-lingual teachers. Lufkin can pay enough to price Diboll out of the market, he said.

Stokes said Superintendent Brent Hawkins is preparing proposals to increase bi-lingual staffing, including offering signing bonuses.