Delaware’s multilingual learner students, the state’s fastest-growing student demographic, are primarily native-born Americans, highly concentrated in Sussex County, and speak nearly 100 native languages, according to a fact sheet and video project launched by Rodel, the Delaware Hispanic Commission, the Arsht-Cannon Fund, and Delaware English Language Learners Teachers and Advocates (DELLTA).

Recent data also affirm MLL students need support in Delaware.

The fact sheet a follow up to a 2017 fact sheet series  produced by these same partners, aim to raise the overall knowledge of multilingual learners (MLLs) in Delaware, while drawing attention to the urgent need for Delaware to update its public funding system which puts MLL students at a unique disadvantage.

An accompanying video captures the stories and perspectives of local educators and graduates, including:

• Margie López Waite, CEO, Las Américas ASPIRA Academy
• Casey Cashdollar, Educator, Delaware English Language Learners Teachers & Advocates (DELLTA)
• Kimberly Stock, Multilingual Learner Teacher, McKean High School
• Valentina Maza, Student, College of Holy Cross

Blending state- and national-level data with infographics and personal anecdotes, the fact sheet and video bring to light compelling information while myth-busting common misconceptions about multilingual students in the First State.

“All Delaware children deserve the opportunity to pursue their dreams. For this to happen, we must all recognize the potential in every child, including the more than 14,000-plus multilingual students in Delaware,” said Christine Cannon, executive director of the Arsht-Cannon Fund.

“Multilingualism is something we should celebrate and encourage in our students,” said Carlos de los Ramos, chair of the Delaware Hispanic Commission. “Instead of allowing the status quo to create barriers for these students, we should be doing everything in our power to support them and their families.”

“Our schools and our educators are working hard to support MLL students. But ultimately, these children are everyone’s responsibility, and the fact remains that additional resources are needed to deliver quality education to these students,” said Jackie Wager, president of Delaware English Language Learners Teachers and Advocates (DELLTA).

“Delaware is one of few states nationally that does not provide sustainable funding to support multilingual learners—and the funding we do provide is an additional $600 per student, while Maryland provides over $7,000 more per MLL student,” said Paul Herdman, CEO of Rodel. “We’ve made some improvements to our funding system, but we’re long overdue for a fair, modern system that meets the needs of our students.”