Framingham Bilingual Director Meets With Parents Pushing For Changes at Fuller Middle

Parent group “La Voz de la Comunidad- Framingham” (Community Voice of Framingham) met Tuesday night with Framingham Public Schools Director of Bilingual Education Gen Grieci.

The Framingham parents shared testimonies of their children’s experiences and discussed their petition, with more than 90 signatures, to bring bilingual education back to Fuller Middle School.

Framingham Patch was the first media outlet to report about the July petition.

Fuller Middle School is the public school district’s only level 3, or low performing middle school.

Parent Sandra Perez’s daughter shared her story about her daughter Kateryn Perez ’s experience in the Framingham Public Schools Tuesday night.

The family moved to Framingham from Colombia to Framingham a year and a half ago.

Kateryn studied in Brophy Elementary for several months last year and was in the Transitional Bilingual Education program.

In that program she was able to study academic material in her native language, while becoming accustomed to her new environment and learning English. Her mom said Kateryn was able to thrive in school.

However, Kateryn struggled this past school year at Fuller Middle School in the Sheltered English Immersion program where she was suddenly immersed in English only classes except for a literacy class in Spanish.

“She went with a lot of enthusiasm, lots of energy. For her, everything was new. She was happy to know a new world and make new friends. But when classes started, she came home very sad and very frustrated because she didn’t understand anything since the classes were in English. She understood absolutely nothing,“ said her father Father Juan Andrés Restrepo.

“I believe that bilingual education helps with the children’s learning. Because I think that if they don’t understand anything, what will they learn?,” said Juan Andrés Restrepo. “With bilingual education, they are gaining curiosity to learn. For me, it’s important that while the child is learning English, he/she is receiving classes in English and Spanish, both, so that he/she can gain and grow their knowledge.”

“Because in reality, they will feel more interest and energy to attend classes with bilingual education. Right now, many children, like my daughter in the beginning, find school difficult,“ said Kateryn’s mom Sandra.

“I’ve known cases of students who don’t want to continue in school for the same reason. Because one doesn’t understand the activities that they are doing in the school. I also don’t speak English and I don’t understand. Imagine the situation for the children learning and in school every day,” said Sandra. “It would be very good if the school became bilingual.”

Editor’s Note: Click here to watch a video of the parents speak in their native language.

Director Grieci thanked the parents for inviting her to to the meeting.

“Thank you for the opportunity to listen to your stories, your students’ experiences and in advocating for your children’s education,“ Grieci told the group. “The Bilingual Education office is listening to your concerns and is working with Fuller Middle School leaders on addressing your request for Bilingual education content classes.”

Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott was out of town and unable to meet with the group Tuesday night.

Grieci told the group Tuesday night “I look forward to continued conversations with parents, school and community leaders in finding ways to address the academic needs of all of our students and in narrowing the achievement gap.”

Parents submitted the petition to the Framingham Public Schools requested a change to bilingual education at Fuller Middle School on July 2.

Parents worry that the SEI environment isolates their children, causes stress and depression, produces low levels of self-esteem and confidence, and poorly affects their academic performance and behavior, stated the petition.

Members of La Voz de la Comunidad are scheduled to meet with Grieci and Scott on August 12.

Fuller Middle had about 440 students in grades 6-7-8 in the 2014-15 school year.

At Fuller Middle, 38.5 percent of the students were Hispanic in the 2014-15 school year, compared to the Framingham public school district which had about one-fourth Hispanic.

According to data from the state, 47.6 percent of the Fuller students, English was not their first language.

And, 23 percent of Fuller students were categorized as English Language Learners (ELL).

In comparison, only 2.5 percent were ELL at Walsh Middle and 0.8 percent were ELL at Cameron.

Students from Brophy Elementary, McCarthy Elementary, and soon King Elementary transition to Fuller Middle.

La Voz de la Comunidad is a volunteer membership-based group of immigrant parents, family and community members dedicated to supporting our children and education and building our voice in the schools and in Framingham. The orianization’s priorities are outreach, organizing, and advocacy around immigrant rights and education.

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Photos:

Juan Carlos and Sandra Perez of Framingham

Sandra Perez and her daughter Kateryn, who attends Fuller Middle School (Submitted photo/graphic)

Members of La Voz de la Comunidad at their meeting Tuesday night (Submitted photo)

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Originally posted on July 29. Updated with new photos.