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ELL committee and Ketchikan High students highlight language supports and CTE/dual‑enrollment opportunities
Summary
An ELL committee presentation urged hiring an endorsed ELL teacher and showed student testimonies on the importance of language classes; Ketchikan High presented enrollment projections, CTE offerings and student supports including counseling and dual enrollment.
At the Feb. 25 meeting, the district ELL committee and Ketchikan High School staff and students showcased programs that support English language learners, dual‑enrollment opportunities and career/technical education.
ELL committee: Penny Layton, co‑chair of the district ELL committee, asked the board to prioritize placing a teacher with an ELL endorsement at the secondary level to ensure consistency and fidelity to best practices. Layton said the committee voted unanimously in December to recommend hiring an endorsed ELL teacher because "Having an endorsed ELL teacher ensures consistency, compliance, and fidelity to best practices across schools." The presentation included a video compilation of student testimonies; Rosen Bruce, a K High senior, said ELL classes help students avoid feeling "invisible, behind, or unheard." Multiple students and committee members emphasized that language access supports academic success and social integration.
Ketchikan High: The principal reported enrollment figures by grade and projected growth in the coming years. The school highlighted a broad set of academic offerings — AP and dual‑enrollment courses, multiple CTE pathways (maritime, culinary, construction, welding), expanded arts and language classes, and renewed extracurricular programs. Counseling staff summarized student supports, including academic advising, career and post‑secondary planning, and a mental‑health 'exit ticket' initiative that has increased early identification and referral for students in need. The principal also described PBIS (positive behavior interventions and supports) efforts and attendance incentives.
Why it matters: Advocates said endorsed ELL teachers are necessary to deliver equitable services to students who speak other languages, and students said targeted ELL instruction supports confidence and academic participation. K High leaders said course and program expansion helps retain students and ready them for college and careers.
Board follow up: Trustees thanked presenters and had no questions; the ELL committee and K High were invited to return with updates at a future meeting or as part of reports.
Representative quotes: Penny Layton: "...we unanimously voted to recommend that a teacher with an ELL endorsement be placed into this teaching position." Rosen Bruce: "Language should never be the reason a student feels invisible, behind, or unheard."
