At Kreitner Elementary School in Collinsville, IL one of the three kindergarten classes is bilingual. Teacher Kimberly Cook starts the year speaking mostly in Spanish and moves toward English later in the year.

English Learners Language Director Carla Cruise says the things children are learning, such as phonemic awareness of breaking words apart, are similar in either language.

“The whole goal is they’re able to learn,” Cruise said. “In the ’80s, it was sink or swim... now they have support to learn.”

Lots of teachers speak Spanish. Why is it so hard to find bilingual teachers?

The bilingual certification is not a bachelor’s level degree; it comes only with a master’s degree.

Are there other types of education for English learners?

Yes. Caseyville Elementary, also in the Collinsville School District 10, has 47 percent Hispanic students. Principal Kevin Robinson said last year a bilingual teacher would pull students out of class for about 30 to 45 minutes a day to help them; this year they are using a parallel-teaching model.

In Tess Dawson and Lea York’s third-grade classroom last week, that meant Dawson taught in English and York, a bilingual teacher, was there to translate as needed. At Caseyville Elementary, two of the three sections in each grade are parallel-taught.

“We’re looking to give them more minutes in the classroom,” Robinson said.

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