Country Roads. Farming. Burning of Chambersburg. Fresh Produce. All of these are associated with Franklin County. But a new wave of association is coming: under represented migrant workers. In the article, Benschoff (2020) reveals that there are currently 843 immigrant students in need of ESL instruction, more than double from last year. These immigrants come to Franklin County for the vast amount of opportunities, but the school district has to keep up with the need. Despite doubling in size, the Chambersburg Area School District only hired one addition ESL teacher. A main concern of these programs being developed by the white population with a lack of understanding of students true needs. Within the article, Benschoff (2020) address the concern of stigma of immigrants, ESL instruction, and life as a family of migrant workers.
This article is of particular importance for me, as I live in the Chambersburg School District and teach in the neighboring school. I heard this piece play on the radio three times this week and every time I heard it I felt a particular responsibility. Even in my coursework, I imagined a classroom in the far distant future with students in an imagined classroom. This article brought me to reality that this isn't an imaginary world with practice lesson plans, but this is a world that is currently being affected and affecting EL students. The piece highlights one of the families and all I kept thinking is did they sell me vegetables at the farmers market this year? Do they work on the farm I know and love? Are these the people whose name I don't even know, but they make my summer meals possible? The answer to all is yes. These students are our connection to our community. ELLs are quite literally the thread that binds us. They are the thin, integral line holding and connecting all of us together. Benschoff, J. (2020, February 22). Speaking mam in MAGA country: I
mmigration, education, and the teenage boy in the middle. Retrieved from
https://www.witf.org/2020/02/26/speaking-mam-in-maga-country-immigration-education-and-the-teenage-boy-in-the-middle/.
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