Making Sure English Learners Have a Voice

Ohio's educators serve 1.7 million public school students, including a growing number of English Language Learners. EL teacher Kara Jankowski is making sure those students and their families can have a say in their schools.

Show Notes

Featured guest: 

• Kara Jankowski, Dayton-area English Learner teacher
  • Kara Jankowski teaches 4th and 5th grade English learners in West Carrollton, Ohio, and is a member of West Carrollton Education Association. In her five years as a teacher, she has taught students from over 30 different countries speaking ten different languages. As a member of Ohio's New Educators (ONE), she enjoys meeting other educators across the state and hearing their stories. 

In this episode:

"Our English Learners are a growing population in the state of Ohio, but they often are ignored, and it's so important that we, not speak for them, but let their voices be heard. I think English learners teachers like me play an important role in that. Because they speak a different language and maybe can't always access information about school, they aren't always the first families to step up and say, 'hey, this thing is unfair;' 'hey, we should change this at our school.' So we need to make sure when there are concerns, or whatever it is they want to say, that they are truly heard and that we're including them in the conversation."

• 1:15 - English Learners (EL), English as a Second Language (ESL), Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL): Many names for one job, teaching students who primarily speak a different language at home besides English
• 1:50 - A day in the life of an EL teacher
• 2:50 - English is a difficult language to learn and sometimes the rules don't make sense, but making connections to other languages helps
• 3:45 - Common misconceptions about EL teachers
• 5:40 - The kind of person who makes an excellent EL teacher
• 7:00 - Communicating and engaging with families of English language learners
• 8:15 - The parent-educator partnership during the pandemic
• 10:05 - "It's not just about those English basics and knowing grammar and how to form a sentence. By helping them with vocabulary and academic language, we are helping them to access their other curriculum better. Not just reading; science, social studies, and then in their daily life. They're able to go out and play a soccer game and communicate with their teammates."
• 10:45 - Trick question: What does the average English language learner look like?
• 11:50 - Creating a more welcoming and supporting environment for English language learners
• 13:10 - Ensuring EL students and their families' voices are heard. 
• 15:20 - "School should be accessible to every child and family that walks through the door, but to add to that, our English learner families are such an asset to our school communities."
• 16:15 - Learning something new everyday from EL students
• 17:00 - Collaborating with other teachers in the district and across the state to improve best practices

"We need more English Learner teachers in classrooms, and so to know that you don't need to know another language is important. We want anyone who feels like this is a job that is appropriate for them, that they can do that if they feel like it is the right fit."

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About us:

• The Ohio Education Association represents more than 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio’s schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio’s schools.
• Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May, 2020, after a ten-year career as a television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. 

This episode was recorded in April, 2021.

What is Public Education Matters?

Ohio's public schools serve 1.6 million children - 90 percent of students in the state! What happens in the classroom has impacts far beyond the walls of the K-12 school building or higher ed lecture hall. So, on behalf of the 120,000 members of the Ohio Education Association, we're taking a deeper dive into some of the many education issues facing our students, educators, and communities. Originally launched in 2021 as Education Matters, Public Education Matters is your source for insightful conversations with the people who shape the education landscape in Ohio. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on Public Education Matters? Email us at [e-mail]