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Student board member urges Banning Unified to strengthen English‑learner supports
Summary
Student board member Mary Adeavorberto told trustees about English-learner students’ struggles — citing roughly 186 ELLs at Banning High — and urged the district to improve daily translation, clearer assignment practices and targeted teacher training to move performance beyond ‘yellow.’
Mary Adeavorberto, the student board member, told the Banning Unified School District board on Feb. 11 that many English‑learner students still feel underserved despite district programs. "If we have an ELD program and to support these students, why still some struggling immensely?" she asked, and she read statements translated by Jose Sanchez that described repeated assignments, unclear expectations and limited teacher support.
Adeavorberto cited district data showing English‑learner performance moved from "red" to "yellow" between 2024 and 2025, and she said that progress should prompt direct listening to students so the district can close remaining gaps. "This shows that many of our non English speaking students still feel unsupported at Banyan High School," she said, urging the board to expand daily translation for announcements and recognition events and to increase teacher training in ELD strategies.
Translator Jose Sanchez presented several student statements in English describing classroom experiences: uncertainty about whether repeated assignments were intentional reinforcement, concern that lessons sometimes rely on students translating for teachers, and requests for clearer rubrics and expectations. Students said some supports — including bilingual aides and the YOLI program mentioned in the materials — were helpful, but they still felt they lacked consistent instructional scaffolds.
Board members and district staff took no formal action during the remarks, but Superintendent Davis and presenters later referenced the district’s ongoing work with site visits and "data chats" intended to surface classroom-level practices. The student comments came ahead of an LCAP midyear update the board received later in the meeting, which reviewed English‑learner progress indicators and reclassification goals.
The district did not specify immediate new expenditures or program changes in response at the meeting; Adeavorberto’s remarks were presented as material for staff consideration as the district refines supports and teacher training plans.
