CU Alumna and Miramontes Scholar Dr. Karla del Rosal’s (2014, EECD) recent TEDxSMU talk (below) invites viewers to get involved in what has become her life’s work. Her commitment to improving education for emerging bilingual students — often called "English Language Learners" — across the nation began with her son, Rodrigo. After moving from Mexico in 2011 and enrolling him in public school, Rodrigo's academics suffered greatly.
“I don’t know what happens when you cross the border. On the other side, Rodrigo was always seen as a very bright, articulate child who loved school. On this side of the border, he was seen in a completely different light.”
To help make a difference, Karla got involved. As his advocate, she became an active parent volunteer, later a school paraprofessional, and eventually, a certified bilingual teacher.
Once in the classroom, she found that most teachers, including herself, were not equipped with the content knowledge and the skills necessary to effectively teach the growing population of emerging bilingual students, like her son. This was particularly true in K-12 mathematics and science classrooms.
Thinking of the millions of students classified as English Language Learners in the United States, Dr. del Rosal committed herself to earning a PhD in the Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. She credits her ability to pursue advanced studies to the Ofelia Miramontes Fellowship, established in memory of the impactful former CU Boulder School of Education professor of bilingual education.
"We have plenty of opportunities for improvement for the education of English Language Learners. And we have no excuse.… There are 4.4 million kids out there [half of which don¹t graduate from high school] and they need us. They are not other people’s children, they are our children.”
Today, Dr. del Rosal serves as an Assistant Professor in Teaching and Learning in the Simmons School of School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University. She will be walking in the School of Education’s Graduation ceremony at CU Boulder on Friday, May 8th.
Additionally, she has recently been invited to share her inspirational words and expertise with the world through blogging for Huff Post. Read her latest.