Alexiss’ journey to earn her college degree wasn’t easy, and it was even harder for her mom, who was juggling her family in addition to work and school, but the support they received from Mélon, their principals and their colleagues helped them get to graduation. Linda currently teaches third grade at Ridgeview Elementary and Alexiss is a kindergarten teacher at Kaiser Elementary. They have become a safe place for bilingual students throughout their schools, who often light up when they realize a teacher speaks their native language. “It’s hard for students to relate to teachers who don’t look like them or speak their language,” said Alexiss. “When students feel safe and happy, they tend to progress much more.” Linda and Alexiss’ coworkers often seek their counsel on relating to or communicating with bilingual students in their classes, and their presence has been transformative for parents of bilingual students, some of whom can now communicate directly with their child’s teacher for the first time. “That’s why a lot of parents are not part of the PTA or school programs or even don’t sign up to take snacks; they aren’t as involved because they don’t know the language and don’t feel comfortable,” said Alexiss. “It’s hard for those parents to build a relationship with the school, and a child’s education depends on the parents and their support.” Linda recalls holding a parent-teacher conference in Spanish with a mother who had previously required a translator; the direct communication and mutual understanding opened the door for the
mother to ask more questions. Alexiss’ student was worried when she missed school for an appointment, so the mom texted, in Spanish, to check on her. The ability to build those relationships makes a tremendous difference in a child’s academic, social and emotional experiences at school. “It’s like you take a weight off their shoulders, and it’s those little details that make them feel comfortable,” said Alexiss. As the bilingual and diversity teacher pipeline programs continue to add paraprofessionals, the foundation is also recruiting OKCPS high school students who want to become teachers. Mélon is hopeful other districts will use the program as a template to create a similar mechanism to recruit and retain teachers. The OKCPS program is privately funded, and as participation grows, so does the need for community partners and innovative funding opportunities. “The key point is retention of teachers,” said Mélon. “The first couple of years of a teacher joining a school district is [when it is] the hardest to retain them; data tells us that. We believe these individuals who have already been invested in our school district will stay with our district.” Alexiss and Linda hope their experiences will inspire other paraprofessionals to take the leap so more students and families will have the benefit of bilingual, culturally-proficient educators. “We are giving people hope,” said Alexiss. “The more the program benefits staff, the more it also benefits parents and students.”
F I SHING • camp ing • kayak ing hi k ing • MOUNTAIN biking campfire cooking
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