Hispanic population growth could change schools

By Patrick Waldron, Dispatch/Argus Staff writer

A rapidly growing local Hispanic population could lead to changes in the classroom influencing what and how school children learn, educators said.

Hispanic culture will appear in textbooks and influence everyday life in the classroom, said Garry Rudish, superintendent of East Moline Public Schools, as a normal reflection of the school community.

Mr. Rudish, who heads the district with the largest Hispanic population in the Illinois Quad-Cities, said he doesn't expect curriculums to see widespread changes due to an increase of the Hispanic population.

``What we are seeing is how the delivery of the instruction process is changing,'' Mr. Rudish said. ``Bilingual programs. We are delivering it through a different language medium than we did before.''

If anything, Mr. Rudish said, changes are being seen in areas of social studies to ``bring in a more accurate and factual history.''

According to local estimates, the Hispanic population in the Illinois Quad-Cities is likely to reach 45,000 by 2015. That number is double 1997 population estimates, and more than five times official 1990 numbers.

For example, Hispanics make up 17.2 percent of students in the East Moline School District, compared with 13.9 percent Hispanic students across the state.

The society continues to become more diverse, and educators say the classroom will have to serve as a reflection of that.

``Those things can't help but have an influence on schools,'' said Mr. Rudish.

Another possibility for the public schools of tomorrow -- standard bilingual education. No public schools in the area offer Spanish as a required part of the elementary curriculum.

``We are one of few developed countries in the world where we allow children not to be bilingual,'' Mr. Rudish said, in contrast to European school children who often learn more than one language.

Mr. Rudish says that may change, as the community changes and schools attempt to adequately reflect that society.

Challenges surrounding bilingual education are not just a challenge of the future, but a hurdle teachers and administrators at some schools are facing today.

In the Moline District, the percentage of Hispanic students districtwide is 13 percent, slightly below the state average. However, as an individual school Ericsson Elementary School reported a 77 percent Hispanic population.

At Ericsson nearly half the Hispanic population, or 34.7 percent of the students, are listed as having limited English proficiency.

Potential language barriers in the classroom will be one of the biggest hurdles in educating an expanding Hispanic population, said John Flaherty, assistant superintendent for the Rock Island Regional Office of Education.

Mr. Flaherty said children with limited English are often highly motivated students but simply lack the communication skills.

The solution may come with the bilingual teachers of tomorrow. Mr. Rudish said hiring qualifications could change and more districts will encourage their teachers to be bilingual.

``We are trying to teach all students,'' Mr. Flaherty said. ``There are some areas were they don't want to teach English as a second language. But you are hurting the kids if you don't provide the extra service.''