Nearly one-third of the students in the Madison school district do not speak English as their native language. The district celebrates linguistic diversity, but non-native English speakers have historically struggled with academic proficiency and lagged behind their native English-speaking peers in graduation rates.
Allison Geyer reported in last week’s Isthmus about the Madison school district’s plan to better serve English language learners by expanding dual-language immersion. The plan has proved to be surprisingly controversial for some parents and staff. Geyer spoke with WORT-FM producer Dylan Brogan about the story for the station’s evening news program, In Our Backyard. Listen to the interview here:
