Jim from Boulder

I have a lot of second language learners in my classroom, mostly Mexican immigrants who come with their families who are here for seasonal work. At least a third of my students are second language learners. They are great kids. There is a big push to graduate these kids. Every year I pick out one kid who I want to help. I will do whatever it takes to make sure this kid gets through the system. I also think teachers in the schools have an opportunity and a responsibility to have a personal effect on people’s lives.

I said to this one Hispanic boy who was bright but did not work hard, "I'm working harder than you are on this thing, what gives? Why aren't you working towards graduation?" And he said, "You want to know the truth? As soon as I'm graduated, I'm deported. If I flunk, I get another year in America. I get a fifth year. So why should I graduate? It means nothing to me if I don't get to stay here." There are a bunch of kids I know like that at Boulder High.  They're moving into pseudo gang identity.

And I think to myself, this could be reversed and fixed overnight legislatively and that would be to offer citizenship to those students who achieve a B or above and graduate. These kids would work their butt off for that and then what we would have coming up through the system would be kids who are working hard and see a goal to what they are working for. They would come out of that system as model citizens if the reward was you'll get citizenship upon graduation.  I would like to see some kind of legislation that rewards kids who work hard and graduate with citizenship. It would transform Boulder High. I think it would transform the nation. It would have a huge impact on immigration.  It would have a huge impact upon what we are doing in the schools.  I think that could be done and it would be huge.

Filed in: Make Your Mark > Immigration