COVINGTON, Ky. — Within two to three years, Covington Independent School District has seen its population of non-English speaking students and students who learned English as their second language grow from 500 to nearly 800 students.
The head of the English Language program, Dr. Susan Pastor-Richard, saw a need for a solution to better serve each student and help ELL teachers like Lisa Niesche, who travels back and forth between Ninth District Elementary and Latonia Elementary School every week.
Pastor-Richard addressed the Covington Independent School Board on Nov. 7 to ask to open an additional position to help Niesche better serve each student.
"So we have currently about 70 (ELL) students here at Ninth, and Latonia increased to 19. So there was a need for us to make sure we delivered adequate services to the students," said Dr Pastor-Richard. "And we were, but it was better to have instead of one teacher for almost 80, or 88 students, two teachers are better."
Our partners at LINK nky reported the board unanimously approved the new position and discussed long-term solutions for the growing population.
"I teach kindergarten through fifth grade at Ninth District, I have students in all grades. At Latonia, I have students in every grade except second," said Niesche.
The district has 779 EL students. A few years ago, the district had students who were mostly from Guatemala and Spanish-speaking. Now, they have students who speak multiple languages.
"We have students that speak ... Swahili and Arabic, and we are continuing to grow," Pastor-Richard said.
Niesche provides extra instruction by using a research-based program to help students learn English quickly. After being responsible for nearly 90 students, she's excited to have someone to collaborate with for student success.
"A coworker that I can go to is really important, but at the same time, my kids are going to be able to get more individualized and personal attention — and I'm really excited about that," said Niesche.
If you're interested in applying, you must have an English Language Learner Education Teacher certification. You can find the application on the Covington Independent School District website or call 859-669-1109
"I was an educator, a teacher, before I got this role ... I enjoy coming to the class, enjoy visiting the students working with the teachers. And I have a passion for just helping them grow and succeed," said Pastor-Richard.
During the discussion of the expansion, the Covington Independent School Board decided to prioritize hiring for the ELL program and other necessary positions across the district.
The school board provided a statement to WCPO 9 News saying they plan to address these issues head-on.
"As a board, we're here to support our students and staff, but we can't effectively do that if we're only addressing issues after they become critical. When it comes to our English Learners, I ask that staff be proactive, not reactionary. And tell the board what they truly need. Don't be afraid to advocate for the resources necessary to give our students the support they deserve..."
