English programs for immigrants get boost

By Mike Gambini and Ken Obstarczyk
Bengal News reporters
 A room is divided into six focus groups. Teams consist of educators, administrators, community leaders and volunteers, each discussing ways to improve and expand English language learner programs in Buffalo.
 This scene represents the first ever This scene represents the first ever BELL Network working conference, which took place Dec. 4 at Buffalo State College.

First BELL Network Conference

 The focus of the network is to expand existing programs and create new programs supporting English language learners, as well as form a larger network linking the various programs in order to help them all work together.
 English language learners are people of all ages and come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some English language learners are recent immigrants, while others are young immigrants who have not yet had the chance to learn English. Because English is the primary language taught in most U.S. schools, these institutions face the challenge of making sure English language learners are competent in reading, writing and comprehension.

 Tamara Alsace, director of Multilingual Education for Buffalo Public Schools, said diversity is continuing to expand in Buffalo schools, and that means languages are also expanding. Alsace said there are a total of 67 languages spoken by students locally. Spanish is the most spoken, followed by Korean, Somali and Arabic.
 “In the Buffalo schools, we have seen an incredible increase in the number of ELLs over the past five years,” Alsace said. “It’s about a 40 percent increase from five years ago and we expect that trend to continue.”
 And according to a policy research brief produced by the National Council of Teachers of English, “ELLs now comprise 10.5 percent of the nation’s K–12 enrollment, up from 5 percent in 1990.”
 The challenges facing English language learners were some of the focal points of the conference. It was broken down into six categories: communications, resources, career, relationship building, early childhood and leadership. Teams were formed to discuss one of the six issues, and then given the task to create solutions and action plans moving forward.
 The network committee is made up of the Buffalo Public Schools, local resettlement agencies, Buffalo State College, Houghton College and the Refugee Tutoring Project, which has been assisting West Side refugees for over four years now.
 Currently there are numerous in and after school programs giving students social, cultural, academic and health support. These programs are hosted by organizations like Journey’s End Refugee Services, Inc., Catholic Charities of Buffalo, First Presbyterian Church and Buffalo Public Schools.
 The youth programs tutor and mentor students in reading, writing, math and English. Programs for adults consist of English classes, employment services such as interview and resume help and cultural assistance, which offers instructions with basic things like health care, grocery shopping and banking.
 Ellen Henry, director of outreach at the First Presbyterian Church, said the BELL Network will be vital to supporting and sustaining the English language learner population in Buffalo.
 “There are a number of programs to support English language learners, but their numbers and diversity are growing, which calls for an increase in services and support,” Henry said.
 The network was formed in the spring after the U.S. Department of Education issued a federal initiative notifying schools and communities across the country to create a support system for English language learners based on the model, “from cradle through college to career.”
 James Williams, superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools, was present at the conference and addressed the network in terms of financial and operational support. Williams said  he is considering the BELL Network in his process of delegating a FOR A $500,000 grant the Buffalo Public Schools received for the 2010-2011 school year. Williams also said whether the school system is able to support BELL financially or not, it is in full support of the plan in place and will try to work along side BELL to address the many issues it faces trying to support English language learners.

Schools Superintendent James Williams, on the need for more language programs:


 The future of the network looks promising. Consisting of representatives from organizations across the West Side with valuable skills and plenty of experience, the network has a strong core. Welborn said the next step is sending out conference “wrap-up packets so everyone can see the progress that was made.” After that is complete, another meeting is planned for January and Welborn is encouraged.
 “The commitment is there to move this project forward,” Welborn said. “The next step is figuring out exactly how to get the job done.”

Edited by Steven Jagord

West Buffalo Charter School in battle over location

By Allison Jagow and Patrick Simons
Bengal News reporters

 With the current school year underway, Elmwood Village Charter School and West Buffalo Charter School continue to fight for the vacant building at the corner of Days Park and Cottage Street.
 There was a resolution determined on Oct. 19 by the court. Any independent appraiser that is on the Appraisal Review Board’s approved list can now appraise the property. The council will then make a decision based on a two-thirds vote on which school will occupy the building for the next five years.
 West Buffalo Charter School has been approved by the state and has obtained its charter for the next five years. By not having a building to run the school out of, they are losing valuable time on their charter. According to Ellicott District Council member Curtis Haynes, West Buffalo Charter School will lose its charter if it is unable to identify a location by Dec. 1.
 The controversy over which charter school will occupy the Public School 36 dates back to July when Erie County Supreme Court Justice Patrick NeMoyer blocked the sale of the building to Elmwood Village Charter School.
 The decision was made based upon the failure by the Appraisal Review Board to consider all appraisals before setting the property value. Under the direction of Samuel Savarino, chief executive officer of Savarino Cos. and the landlord of Elmwood Villages, West Buffalo Charter School bid the property at $800,000. Elmwood Village Charter School put its bid in at $540,000, which is what the appraisal board set the appraisal at initially. The review board failed to consider other offers at the time.
 Samuel Savarino addresses the importance of the location for West Buffalo Charter:

 It has been decided by NeMoyer that the Common Council will be making the final decision on which school will occupy School 36.
 West Buffalo Charter School was set to open this fall with 162 students enrolled in kindergarten through second grade. Although that date has been pushed forward until next fall, the school has a plan once it opens.
 West Buffalo Charter School will focus its curriculum mainly on teaching students speech, language, literacy and personal skills. The school will also have art, music, technology, dance, theatre, physical education, and computer classes.
The school is expecting to have smaller class sizes with approximately 18 students to a class, as well as a longer school year extending through July.
 The argument for West Buffalo Charter School to occupy School 36 is extensive according to Savarino. He said that West Buffalo Charter School would need the building because the curriculum is specific to the needs of the West Side. The students have lower language and reading skills according to Savarino, so West Buffalo Charter School would fulfill the needs of the community.
 The renewal of a school’s charter depends on the success of the school, according to Liz Evans, the founding member of Elmwood Village Charter School and chair of the board of trustees.
 Elmwood Village Charter School, located at 124 Elmwood Ave. has been a well-known charter school for the past five years starting in 2006. The school educates students from kindergarten through the sixth grade, with 25 students in each class. It recently has been approved for its charter to be extended for another five years. The school would like to expand its campus and double the amount of students enrolled in the school. An expansion would help the school be able to further educate more children on the West Side.
 Elmwood Village Charter School thinks that School 36 would be an ideal location because of its desire to expand. In the future, it would like to add seventh and eighth grade classes to the school. The school has also begun the process of adding a new kindergarten class every year until there are two classes for each grade level. Liz Evans, founding member of Elmwood Village Charter School and chair of the board of trustees, said that School 36 is an ideal location to accompany its increasing student enrollment.
 The location of the school on Days Park is an easy access location for students and parents. It is within walking distance and would not require bus transportation, Evans said.
 “Community is a big part of our charter,” Evans said. “We take the kids out to the neighborhood, so we interact with the community a lot.”

Edited by Tony Fiorello and Natalie Lleras

Tutoring program expands to aid West Side schools

By Ashley Brown and Brittany Sherman
Bengal News reporters

 To combat the rash of recent West Side schools placed on the New York State Department of Educations ‘Schools In Need of Improvement List’, Upgrade Academics opened a new location November 1 on Lafayette Street.

 Started in 2001 by Nancy Berger, Upgrade Academics is an afterschool and summer enrichment program that is designed to provide free tutoring services in math and reading to almost 1,000 low-income students throughout the city. 
 The program, which is funded by the No Child Left Behind Act, started off with a focus on teaching students basic reading, writing and math skills.
 Today, Upgrade Academics has grown into one of Buffalo’s largest supplemental education service providers and has expanded its services to provide West Side students with SAT preparation, daycare and summer camp.
 The primary office of Upgrade Academics is in Williamsville, but it has have facilities all over Western New York. Four of the nine locations are on the West Side where students of Buffalo Public Schools schools consistently fail to meet educational standards. Among the deficiencies:
 • At Public School 30 Frank A. Sedita Academy, 35 percent of students in grades seven and eight are at a beginner’s level in reading and writing; while 37percent are considered to be at an intermediate level.
 • At Public School 18 Dr. Antonia Pantoja Community School of Academic Excellence, grades four and five struggle to reach the learning standards in English.
 •At Public School 45 International School, grades three, four, five and eight partially met the learning standards in English and in math.
 “The kids at Upgrade Academics attend some of the worst schools in Buffalo,” said Kristen Shaffer, a tutor for Upgrade Academics. “Just meaning, test score wise, where the schools are, where they’re supposed to be isn’t up to par.”
 More from Upgrade Academics tutor Kristen Shaffer:


 Once schools are placed on the Schools In Need of Improvement list they become eligible to receive outside aid from non-profit organizations such as Upgrade Academics.
 Shaffer has worked with students on both the East and West Sides.
 Through her work she said she has noticed that the family makeup of the students from both communities impact their learning styles. For this reason, Schaffer said, courses are individually tailored to meet student’s needs.

Edited by Mike Gambini and John Patrissi