LYNN — English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are not only being taught to the city’s students, but to their parents as well.
In a collaborative effort, the Lynn Teachers Union (LTU), Lynn Public Schools administration, and the LPS Curriculum Department debuted ESL classes for adults last week. The classes are targeted at parents of students at schools near the LTU office at 679 Western Ave., given many of them don’t have access to cars.
Sheila O’Neil, the LTU president, and Tina Hoofnagle, program specialist of parent and family engagement for the curriculum department, received over 75 calls after they announced the adult ESL program. The classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-11 a.m., every week through the rest of the school year.
Each session this year already has 25 parents booked and over 25 on the waitlist.
“Having the parents of a community integrated into the Lynn Public Schools is instrumental for students to have better educational experiences,” said O’Neil. “We want them to know we are here to be of assistance. Every teacher wants their students to have the best educational experience possible and we believe this can help.”
The program came to fruition after O’Neil approached Hoofnagle with the idea, knowing she had held ESL adult classes before on a much smaller scale. Hoofnagle gave the union president background on how she held sessions in the past and used that as the model for the pilot project.
“We have a high population of families in the district where English is not their first language,” said Hoofnagle. “The more we empower them to learn, the greater opportunities they will have.
With a goal of keeping the funds for the classes at a minimum, retired LTU members Patricia Burke and Francesca Reyes volunteered to teach. Materials for the curriculum were purchased with the LPS administration’s Title I funds, which provide financial assistance to local educational agencies and schools with high numbers or percentages of children from low-income families. The fund’s mission is to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.
“It’s an awesome new beginning and we’re excited for it,” said O’Neil. “Everybody who came to the first two classes went home saying they learned something new and it’s giving them the confidence to go out into the world. Just goes to show what a need we have in the district for this.”
The curriculum focuses on working with the parents on conversational English, especially for situations that call for communication with doctors, teachers, government agencies, and official institutions.
“I see the ESL course for parents as reflecting yet another meaningful and impactful partnership to meet the needs of the community we serve,” said School Superintendent Patrick Tutwiler. “While our parents are the direct beneficiaries of this service, we are excited about the research-supported outcomes of this work for students as well. In all, this is a win-win and I’m thrilled that it has taken off with such gusto.”
