Idaho schools are struggling to keep up with an increase in English-language learners
On any given day, Ruth Hawley may teach students in three different buildings at Coeur d'Alene Public Schools. As the district's only full-time "English learner" teacher, she spends her days in a high school, a middle school and, on a good day, an elementary school.
Her goal is to help students who normally speak a different language learn English, until they can fully transition to mainstream classrooms without her help. Yet soon, Hawley thinks it will be her who may need a little more help.
Right now, there's only one other English-learner teacher in Coeur d'Alene, and she works part time. But in the last three years, the number of English-learning students has more than doubled.
"Probably having more staffing would be nice, being able to provide more time — I don't always see my elementary kids every day," she says.
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