Mexican Teachers Make a Difference

by Edgar León

Thanks to the new binational migrant education teacher exchange program, Michigan had the great experience of hosting 16 teachers during this summer. A great number of positive things have resulted from this experience. Among the most important, we can mention the opportunity to have 16 bilingual teachers in many schools that in the past had very limited access to bilingual teachers due to their lack of funding or lack of positive attitude towards having hispanic teachers in their school system. This attitude is not about racism or bigotry but about history.

Migrant education programs have been given the least of attention for many years. As a field, it has been without enough strong research and support in general from the educational establishments. For too long we have had migrant education as part of some other program for minorities. This condition has been detrimental to all children because they were not the first issue on the local school agendas.

This program is very important and deserves to have its own identity in each and every school. School officials must realize that this program provides real instructional opportunities to change student lives. It should not be seen as a program for hispanics. It should be seen as a program with real children who need direct instruction more that anyone in that school.

Instruction should be provided by regular school teachers and not by tutors. By having the mexican teachers this summer, it has served as a great boost for those teachers who believed that migrant students did not have the capacity to improve their schooling because there was very little time to teach. Yes, it is hard but not imposible! Every little piece of instruction will mean a world of positive change towards each of the children.

Tutors are helpful only after and before school instruction. For too many years we have seen how school programs design their migrant education program with twenty tutors and two teachers. I would personally reverse this order and seriously start looking at improving the lives of these students. Migrant students should not be separated or pulled out to a hallway. They should be with a teacher getting the same instruction that each and every child deserves.

These kids are not at risk! The public is at risk if they do not start educating all children regarless of their race, ethnic background, sex or religion. Teachers from Mexico have proven that they make a difference. Migrant children learned about their history, their culture and the importance of learning English and Spanish in order to survive in our society.

Migrant children must not be treated as outsiders because they are identified as migrants and qualify for federal funding which comes right to your school district regardless if the child leaves in two weeks to other state or school district. Teacher expectations should be as high as any other child. Stereotypes and assumptions should be left at home when we are to teach migrant children.

Migrant families always bring more too our state than what little they take. Many of them do not have the time to apply for social services and food stamps.

The federal grant money received by our state is for providing instruction to migrant children and not to have an employment agency of tutors. Schools should move towards educating the tutors and them study to become teachers. There are many college and universities with flexible programs ready to help them complete their degree.

Many teachers confuse migrant education with bilingual education and ignore that migrant education is directly related to instruction. The main goal of migrant education is to help children with their school credit completion. Most of the migrant students have interrupted schooling because their parents have to move from one place of work to another following the crop season.

The mexican teachers were committed to each child during their short time in Michigan. They have provided a great service to our state regardless of the lack of materials or warm welcome from some of the regular school teachers and staff. They have served as role models to many other teachers and children.

On behalf of each and every child, we say thank you for their excellent work during this summer. We also want to thank the honorable Consul of Mexico in Detroit - Mr. Vicente Montemayor Cantu and his staff for all the support during this summer.

We hope our state can participate in the Mexican teacher exchange program next year and invite other schools to be hosts during the regular school year and summer. If you are interested in participating please contact this author at 517-373-4582.