Bilingual education gets boost

Daniel Martinez's old dream was to be a "news anchor or sports man."

That was before he dedicated some time to help out with a youth ministry program.

"I started doing volunteer work with kids and it clicked," he said. "I was working with kids as a role model, helping them get through life's difficult lessons."

So, after a semester at Salt Lake Community College, Martinez, 19, changed career plans: He's now studying at Weber State University to be a teacher. He is also working in Box Elder School District as on-track coordinator for migrant school children and a youth-in-custody mentor.

"I like to consider myself a more outgoing, fun guy," Martinez said. "I'll bring that to the classroom."

This fall, Martinez will receive a Teacher Assistant Path to Teaching scholarship, which is tailored for such students.

The TAPT program is paid for by a federal bilingual education grant to help school district employees or volunteers earn a teaching certificate, said Joseph Ball, director of the Weber State program.

He said 38 students have so far graduated from the program, which is starting its ninth year. Most of those are now teachers at one of the six school districts in northern Utah that sponsored their education, he said.

This is the last year of funding for the program, and WSU has applied to extend the grant, Ball said.

Marilyn Lofgreen, instructor specialist at Weber State, said the program's goal is to bring more bilingual educators into the classroom to meet the needs of the state's growing population of students who are learning to speak English. Bilingualism is not a requirement, but preference is given to students who speak more than one language, she said. Students range from janitors to teacher assistants, she said.

"The intent is to make sure they are familiar with the roles that are played in the schools," she said of the teachers-in-training. "Some may have had college experience, others never set foot on a campus before. . . . Some are from very challenging backgrounds of their own. Some never thought they would be able to attend a university."

Richard Gomez, state coordinator for educational equity, said the program shows promise, and general feedback has been positive so far.