Context: Why ELLs in Philadelphia?

On March 15, 2018, Philadelphia Superintendent Helen Gym held a roundtable with students in the Philadelphia public school district to find out from them what they saw as the biggest issues in their schools. She publicized this roundtable on Twitter, posting updates from the discussion using the hashtag #PHLedroundtable. Scrolling through this hashtag, there are several consistent themes that the students brought up. Among these was the lack of support for English Language Learners. The tweet below, among others, was a source of inspiration to undertake this project, which is why the photo from this tweet is featured in this website’s header image. The students of Philadelphia have spoken, and support for ELLs is a major issue that they are struggling with on a daily basis. My hope is that this website can give some insight into this issue and how it can be addressed.

Note: BCAs are Bilingual Counselor Assistants, support staff in schools who can help students and families with translating and navigating the school system.