A recent report on multilingual education by Portland Public Schools was a big disappointment to me, a retired educator (“Portland schools embracing multilingual education,” July 16). To expect regular classroom teachers to teach Maine students and new immigrants in the same classroom is not going to be highly successful. Consider, instead, the following proposal.

1. Spend one year teaching all of the new immigrants the English language. Intensive English language instruction is important. Contact surrounding colleges – provide some top students the opportunity to earn college credit by assisting teachers with the new students. Pay retired teachers $25 or $50 per hour to teach English.

2. At the same time that the students are being taught, there should be classes for parents, two nights per week, to teach them English so that they can help their son or daughter. Students need parents at home to help them.

3. The goal is to help new students learn English as soon as they possibly can, in order to be moved to regular classrooms with all students. This has been successful in many schools over the last 50 years.

4. New students should have lunch, physical education, music and art with all students.

Maine has the resources to make this work, if organized properly. Teachers, counselors, parents and colleges can all help – if organized.

Becky Cederholm
Hilton Head, S.C.

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