Representing every neighborhood of Boston and neighboring communities, more than 60 adult English-learning students came together over a series of two Student Leadership Assemblies to discuss pressing questions that they and adult education professionals and advocates continue to ponder and analyze: what existing program supports help adult students learn English as a Second Language, and what are the barriers standing in the way of people becoming English proficient?
Facilitated by a dedicated group of former and current ESOL student leaders, plus staff from English for New Bostonians (ENB), participants also discussed a question that isn't addressed nearly as often: what can students themselves do to improve access to and quality of English classes?
After highly productive small group working sessions, categorization of the issues raised, and votes on proposed projects, three priorities emerged: state budget advocacy, an informational campaign to make it easier for immigrants to find appropriate ESOL services, and volunteering at English classes as tutors, advisors, and mentors. "Having benefitted from free English classes, I want to give back in any way to my community," said Herve Ntumba Matunga, a current ESOL student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who studies at YMCA International Learning Center.
The Student Leadership Assemblies come at a point when the need for high-quality, affordable adult English instruction has reached a critical level. According to a 2014 study authored by Jill H. Wilson of the Brookings Institution, the percentage of working-age adults in the labor force in the Boston area who are limited English proficient increased over 26% between 2000 and 2012.
Victory: Increase to ABE/ESOL Budget Line Item!
For the first time in seven years, the Legislature voted to increase the Adult Basic Education / English for Speakers of Other Languages (ABE/ESOL) budget line item. The 5% increase raises the allocation from $29.6 million in FY15 to $31.2 in FY16.
Although a modest step towards addressing the vast need for affordable ABE and ESOL classes in Massachusetts, the increase is a victory for thousands of students who will be able to improve their English and basic skills. ENB's English Works Campaign leaders congratulate, first and foremost, the adult learners who clearly articulated to their legislators how investing in immigrants' education would translate into measurable benefits for the Commonwealth. Congrats also to community-based ABE/ESOL programs, the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education, and other advocacy groups for this victory.
Special thanks to Senate President Stan Rosenberg; State Senators Jamie Eldridge, Sonia Chang-Diaz, and Sal DiDomenico; and Representative Tom Sannicandro for their leadership.
Governor Baker has 10 days to sign the budget into law, and we are not expecting any vetoes or changes to the ABE/ESOL line item. We encourage you to pick up the phone and thank your legislators for their support!
Over 200 Businesses and Allies Attended WTFP Business Forums
|
Speakers at the Boston Forum. From left to right: Claudia Green, ENB Exec. Dir.; Gary MacDonald, AIM Exec. V.P.; Pascual Morla, Kayem Foods Team Leader; Ronald Walker, MA Secretary of Labor; John Barros, Boston Chief of Economic Development. |
The staff of the English Works Campaign, in partnership with Commonwealth Corporation, recently finished a series of eight business forums held around the state to promote use of the Workforce Training Fund Program for workplace ESOL classes. More than 200 businesses, workforce development representatives, and state and local elected officials participated in these forums, held between November and June in New Bedford, Lynn, Brockton, Malden, Worcester, Chicopee, Boston, and Lawrence.
Headlining the Lawrence event, Mayor Dan Rivera said: "To make Lawrence better, our workers need English language skills to secure better jobs and better opportunities. Grants from the MA Workforce Training Fund Program enable businesses to fund classes that strengthen the workforce, their bottom lines, and in turn, the communities in which they operate."
Other state and local officials who spoke at these forums included MA Secretary of Labor Ronald Walker, Boston Chief of Economic Development John Barros, and Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. The Boston Business Journal published an op-ed penned by English for New Bostonians Executive Director Claudia Green, "Improving worker English skills is an investment."
Join the English Works Campaign
Please join the 75+ organizations that have already endorsed the English Works Campaign and become official campaign members. Signing on to English Works is easy: go to the Campaign's website at
www.english-works.org and click on "Sign on to English Works" on the top right of the home page. Fill out the form and click on "sign on"!
If you have any questions about joining English Works, please contact us at: