Bailey's Elementary School Falls Church, Virginia

Teacher Mathina Carkci with student

Feb. 23, 2000 -- If the American public school system is one of the "points of entry" through which immigrants begin to become Americans, then Bailey's Elementary may lie at the heart of that process. The school is in Falls Church, Va., a suburb of wealthy Fairfax County in the Washington, D.C. area. Immigrants have been coming to Falls Church since European refugees arrived during the Second World War. Since then, refugees of the Vietnam war, Hispanics, Africans and Central Asians have settled in the town. The places from where immigrants come have changed dramatically but they're coming for th same reasons: the availability of low-income housing, plentiful jobs (especially in this booming economy), decent public transportation; and because of family ties.

Ahmed Yasin

Ten years ago, Bailey's Elementary was made up almost entirely of immigrant students, many of whom had limited English skills, and parents struggling to provide for their families. But in 1992, the school re-cast itself as a magnet program, partly as a way of attracting native English speaking (mostly white) kids from the surrounding, wealthier suburbs. Now, about 200 of the school's 900 kids are native English speaking. They serve, according to the teachers and principal, as vital role models - even tutors - to the immigrant students. Nearly 50 percent of the school's population is Hispanic, the rest is black, Asian, white, Middle Eastern and a variety of other immigrant groups.

Stephanie Andrade

We are focusing on a single fourth grade class, taught by Mathina Carkci, whose occasional commentaries have aired on Morning Edition. Carkci teaches students with a wide range of abilities and skills in her class, from those who require special tutoring in English, to those who qualify for Gifted and Talented programs at other schools. In her class of 23 kids, roughly 11 nationalities are represented.

February 23, 2000
NPR's Neva Grant begins the series with a report on Bailey's Elementary School in the Washington suburb of Falls Church, Virginia. Students at Bailey's come from 45 countries, and many of them don't speak English at home. Bailey's has become a magnet school, partly to attract more native English speakers.

February 24, 2000
In the second part of our series, NPR's Madeleine Brand reports on a multi-cultural classroom in northern Virginia. Elementary school teacher Mathina Carkci has students from Sudan, Egypt, Bolivia, Pakistan learning along side native-born Americans. Her challenge is to teach all the children, no matter what language they speak at home. One strategy is to pair English-speaking students with kids who are still learning the language it's a plan that's turned out to be mutually beneficial.

February 25, 2000
In part three of the series The Changing Face of America, NPR's Eric Westervelt reports on the challenges many immigrant parents experience as they raise their children in a new culture. Many struggle to earn a living and while trying to learn English. The language barrier often keeps immigrant parents from forming friendships with their American-born counterparts.