District English‑learner advisory groups describe gains, ask for expanded outreach and Title 3 supports
Loading...
Summary
Members of the district DELAC and school ELACs presented their year‑long work to the board, citing increased participation, removal of attendance barriers, and requests for Title 3 funds, summer programming, and translated materials to support English learner families.
At the June 11 Tahoe Truckee Unified School District meeting, representatives of the district English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) and school ELACs presented a summary of two years of community‑engagement work and asked the board to continue support for several specific steps to improve family participation and student outcomes.
Sarah Colborne, the district English Language Development program specialist, and Barbara Kane, the district coordinator of translations and bilingual community services, introduced parent representatives who described recent changes and requested continued supports.
"We are the parents of the district English learner advisory committee, and we are here tonight to share our experiences, our celebrations, our hopes, our dreams for our English learner students," said a parent reader for the group. Committee members said the district and schools have improved attendance at parent meetings by offering communal dinners, on‑site childcare and by using direct invitations. They also described efforts to make district communications and materials accessible in Spanish.
DELAC representatives detailed several concrete outcomes from parent advocacy over the past two years:
- Expanded training and Spanish‑language resources tied to newly adopted math materials, enabling parents to better support students at home. - Ensuring district communications about free math tutoring and extending deadlines with QR codes so more Spanish‑speaking families complete surveys. - Simplifying the volunteer clearance process and arranging mobile fingerprinting at family events to make volunteering easier. - Advocacy that led to district meetings with transportation staff to request more bus transportation for field trips and sports. - DELAC representation at a newly expanded annual PTO/DLAC summit and parent outreach at summer workshops to increase engagement. - Requests that Title 3 funds be used to add certificated teacher support and summer programs at Boys & Girls Club sites and more homework support during the school year.
"Our biggest dream is for our children to not only learn English, but to excel and have all the opportunities they deserve," the parents said, asking the district to continue strengthening pathways that help students reclassify and access post‑secondary options.
Board members praised the committee’s work. The board and district staff noted DELAC and ELAC efforts have been reflected in the district’s Strategic Plan and LCAP data: administrators said English learners’ sense of belonging rose substantially in recent survey cycles, a point DELAC members highlighted.
District staff said not all DELAC representatives could attend but that the committee will maintain its emphasis on parent engagement and continue collaborating with site administrators.
The presentation concluded with a request to broaden outreach to multilingual families beyond just current English‑learner parents and to find more ways to bring student voice into DELAC/ELAC meetings.
