Creating a Supportive Place for Immigrants: Made in America Chapter 7

What a disheartening mind trip reading this chapter was. Olsen captures perfectly the administrative battles and struggles that many ESL programs face in schools, even schools that seem to have it all together with their ESL programs such as ones in the Bayview district.

The opening vignette of the P.E teacher and the counselor not realizing the exhausted student's true reason for not eating all day serves as a preview of all the teacher and administrative inefficiencies that are sadly present in the Bayview district, Madison High and Newcomer High being most affected. When I began to read about the Newcomer school, although pedagogically it sounded wonderful, I thought about how truly sheltered the children are in their placement at the Newcomer school when it comes to actually using their English in interaction with other students. Although the text mentioned that many children only attend the Newcomer school for part of the day and then move to another comprehensive high school, surely there are students who stay all day at the Newcomer school. Olsen mentions such problems regarding both problems: "..they have become increasingly aware of the double-edged sword that the separate Newcomer School program has created." The Newcomer School has become a somewhat isolated island of services for immigrant students." "Teachers of the same immigrant students at the two sites have little communication and cannot sufficiently monitor the progress of students or provide the articulation and counseling support needed." These quotes showcase only a few of the problems that the Bayview district struggles with every day.

The chapter truly showcases the double-edged sword that exists in the district. The LEP children are sent to the Newcomer School to gain the most beneficial instruction from teachers who know how to work with ESL students, but then they are being kept away from the real English environment. Additionally, the view that is placed on this program seems to be negative within the district, with the other faculty of the comprehensive high schools wanting the Newcomer School to "deal with them."

I hope this chapter prompts really good discussion on educational policy and management on Monday.