Two of the three Rs of education — reading, writing and “‘rithmetic,” — pose a bigger challenge to educators when the students don’t yet speak English.
The Monroe County school board on Feb. 14 heard an update about the school district’s current and ever-increasing population of foreign-speaking students, who are labeled “English Learners” in today’s educational parlance.
The countywide school district has more than 1,555 students – about one in five – who speak other languages at home, administrator Natalie Liz reported. Two-thirds of those students were born outside the United States, she said.
Monroe County students hail from 36 countries and speak dozens of languages, she said, adding that the district continues to implement various programs to ensure those students succeed.
The top “countries of origin” for Keys students who are learning English include: United States, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico and Uzbekistan, Liz reported.
In keeping with the influx of migrants coming into the Florida Keys, the number of Cuban students has increased by 66 in recent months, while the number of Haitian students has increased by 20 in Keys schools this year.
Currently, Stanley Switlik Elementary School in Marathon and Horace O”Bryant School in Key West have the most Spanish-speaking students, with 121 and 119, respectively, Liz noted.
“We’ve implemented new strategies to guide the initial placement of students in classes, based on their current English proficiency,” Liz said.
Staff recruitment
The state of Florida is expected to need 6,000 teachers next year, reported Harry Russell, executive director of personnel support and instructional leadership for Monroe County Schools.
Monroe County currently has 62 job openings, including six for teachers, but that number always increases at the end of the school year when many teachers decide to retire or move.
Anticipating the increase in departing teachers at the end of the school year, Russell is exploring several avenues for recruitment.
One option is to start accepting student teachers to work alongside certified teachers in classrooms as they complete their training, he said.
“They would be here for four months doing their student teaching requirements,” Russell said. “We’re hoping to develop relationships with them while they fall in love with Monroe County” so they’ll come back when they graduate.
Russell also sees some potential in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ initiative to turn military veterans into teachers by providing a streamlined certification process.
Russell said Monroe County may be in a unique position to capitalize on that initiative, given the number of military personnel, military spouses and others in the Florida Keys.
He’s also working with Florida colleges and universities to get Monroe County School District on their lists of potential employers and is traveling the state to meet with near-future teachers on college campuses.
The most recent school board meeting in Key West also drew the now-typical appearances by conservative speakers from the public — with and without kids in the local school district. Three speakers urged a national search for the next superintendent.
Speaker Christine Miller of Big Pine Key again called for the Ten Commandments to be posted in all classrooms, urged a national search for the next superintendent and encouraged the school board to hire a superintendent who will “ban the LGBTQ and woke agendas in schools.”
Bethany Bartlett of Duck Key warned against children’s “loss of innocence” amid today’s “sexual revolution,” while speaking against critical race theory, which is not taught in any Monroe County schools.
For the record, Superintendent Theresa Axford has not announced her retirement. Although her contract ends July 31, 2024, Axford could seek a contract extension or could apply for the superintendent opening. She has made no decision about retirement, Axford told the Keys Weekly last month.
