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Online School can mean Unique Challenges for ELL Students

Even though schools are closed for the rest of the year, teachers are trying to keep their students engaged through distance learning.

Many districts are going online. But the shift might be especially challenging for English learners. 

In order for online education to work, administrators, teachers and families have to be on the same page.

That’s kind of tricky when there’s a language barrier, says Rich Pollio, director of ESOL services for Fairfax County Public Schools.  "Our English learner families, many don’t speak English at home and so we’ve been reaching out to families in a number of ways to try and explain what’s going to be happening with distance learning," Pollio said.

Fairfax County has the state's largest population of English learners, according to the Virginia Department of Education. 

In order to help these students and their families adapt to the changes, the school system is relying on an interpretation service and parent liaisons who can answer questions and share information.

Making sure everyone has access to technology is another matter.   "Many of our English learner families we know are families that come from families of poverty," Pollio says.

Pollio says Fairfax County is still in the process of distributing laptops and hotspots to students who need them.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.