My name is Mandy Manning.
And I teach English language learners in the
Newcomer Center at Ferris High School.
It’s a specialized English language development
program for brand-new immigrant and refugee
students who are of high school age.
All of the students who come into my class
are not only brand-new to our nation, but
they also don't yet speak English.
I can't teach them all of the language that
they need in order to be successful.
But I can ease the transition so that when
they go on to mainstream classes they're more
confident, they're brave, they are willing
to take risks.
And so, it’s quite a variety of languages?
We serve 77 languages here in Spokane.
Oh, wow.
And some of these kids must be dealing with
a lot of uncertainty?
I would say 80% of my students, are refugee
students.
So they have gone through a great deal of
trauma before arriving here.
But they are so excited to be at school.
It’s a moment in their day where they know
what is expected.
It's a brand-new experience for them, going
to school in the United States.
They do have days where they're struggling
emotionally with culture shock or with post-traumatic
stress.
Must be tough.
To come to a new place, and to be welcomed
with open arms, and to know that people want
you there, that is going to make a tremendous
difference in how they interact in their new
community, how they acclimate, how they move
forward in life.
Because we have the public school system that’s
intended to serve all students, it’s there
for them.
If you look at education overall, do you feel
like we're getting better or what's your thinking
on what direction we should go?
I really do think that our school system,
at its heart, is doing what's best for kids.
At Ferris, we are flexible and we're open
to listening to new ideas and trying new things
in order to meet the needs of the kids.
Teachers have to feel like they can have a
voice.
And at Ferris, we do.
We feel like we have a voice.
It’s about building a relationship.
We’re partners, so let’s do this together.
You know, it’s really amazing what you do.
