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WAFF’s ESL promos left me offended
Published November 7, 2009
It is a rare occurrence that I publically take issue with another media outlet. It is necessary to do that today. I am disappointed with Huntsville television station WAFF, channel 48, and its special report, “Buy-lingual.”
Honestly, the report itself, which aired on the 10 p.m. news Thursday, was more objective than I expected.
Reported by Mark Thornhill, the report questioned the spending on English as a Second Language (ESL) programs by North Alabama school systems.
It was the station’s promotional ads for the report which angered me. These promos, made by Thornhill, were intentionally inflammatory, playing on the biases of viewers in an attempt to gather more viewers.
These promos fanned the flames of the uninformed, creating a larger divide in this community and others. The report didn’t help inform, either.
Furthermore, that report, which again I say was more balanced than I expected, left untold many of the important facts of the ESL program.
As a result, we have attempted to give a more complete report – the other side of the story, if you will – on page A1 today. Joyce Bishop, assistant superintendent of the Albertville City Schools and the person responsible for that system’s ESL program, gives a point of view you should read closely. It is important you do that, with an open mind.
We all need to understand that providing a good education to all our children – English speaking, non-English speaking, and even for those whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower but who do not read well in any language – is the way to help everyone improve their lot in life.
Students who read well will experience more success academically and socially. They will be less likely to drop out of school, less likely to be use drugs, be involved in crime or get pregnant. They will make better employees and have higher self esteem.
Poor readers, regardless of their ethnic and cultural background, will be poor achievers, failing to reach their full potential regardless of the career path they choose. And, as Bishop pointed out, ESL teachers help more than just Hispanic children.
Read this again from our front page.
“Albertville City Schools Assistant Superintendent Joyce Bishop defended ESL programs as a necessity that help not only ESL students but also all children in need of extra assistance.
“Our ESL teachers do not focus solely on children who do not speak English. They are in the regular classroom, helping all children who need a little extra help,” she said. “These teachers are in the classrooms working with any child who may need extra help grasping a concept, such as sentence structure.
“Good practice says what is good for ESL students is good for all students. No one is hurt by us having ESL programs.”
WAFF’s report would have been much better to have included that little tidbit.
Instead, Thornhill focused on the financial aspect of the program. He pointed out that the “price tag for this (ESL) program in Alabama for the 2010 budget is more than $6.3 million for 19,602 students.”
Viewers, by inference, were encouraged to think, “My God, can you believe that? What a waste of money.”
Do the math. That equates to about $321 per student per year and most of that comes from federal funds. A single football uniform costs more than that and football serves a much smaller percentage of students.
Albertville Mayor Lindsey Lyons was featured in the report. On screen, he said, “They have to learn English to be able to succeed. That’s why a resolution was passed making English the official language of the city.”
That’s right, mayor. It’s the law and it’s our responsibility to pay for it, for all the children on Sand Mountain – “ours” and “theirs.”
Ben Shurett is publisher of The Sand Mountain Reporter. He can be contacted at ben.shurett(at)sandmountainreporter.com.
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