G-E-T adds full-time English language teaching position

The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District hopes a new full-time English language teacher position will make a difference as it sees a boon in the number of students who do not speak English as their primary language and need additional help learning.

That number is more than 20 students and is expected to continue growing.

Currently the district contracts with Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) for such a position, but it is only a half-time position and costs just over $46,000 a year. Creating a full-time position in the district will cost about $15,000 more per year, but the need has risen steadily across the school buildings. 

It’s hard to say for sure what has caused the boon in students who don’t speak fluent English, Superintendent Michele Butler told the Times, but she said more housing opportunities and more families sponsoring and adopting such students could be part of the rise.

Regardless of what has caused the growth, Butler said schools have a responsibility to educate the students just like the others.

“There’s an expectation no matter where you go to school (that) there should be support for every student and all student needs, whether that’s special education or English learners,” Butler said.

Board member Todd Roessler agreed.

“These are our students. … at the end of the day they’re our kids,” he said.

Some high school students who are advanced Spanish students are doing what they can to help with English support, pupil services director Lindsey Schubert told the G-E-T school board last Monday, but she also said more help is needed.

Board members spoke in favor of the addition, as Pat Malone called it “both a legal and moral obligation” for the district. Mark Kopp said he gets the need but shared concerns about expanding district payroll as other board members said they were in favor of the addition.

“It’s a sign of the times. It’s not only coming, it’s here,” Harold Olson said in the same meeting that he said he hopes to see more opportunities for students instead of always spending money on staff.

The position will travel to multiple buildings because the need is spread across all age levels, and one of the big reasons for the need is that a high number of the students are beginners at speaking English.

“It’s gonna be a little bit of a tricky schedule,” Butler said, “But we were able to have a teacher travel between a couple of buildings before as a halftime (teacher), so I think we’ll make this work.”