What do I need to do to put my son in a English regular class, they have my son right now in a ESL Class?

Question

My son is attending pre-k in a school in texas right now and I tought that he was an a regular english class. I told the the principal to have him move to a regular english class and they said that there was no more room.

What shoul I do or does anyone knows how much it cost to move him to another school?

Answer 1

If English is your primary language then you need to yank your child out of there.  I have taught two children who were put in ESL class as kindergarten students and knew absolutely nothing in first grade.  If the class is voluntary then I guess it's too bad that there isn't room.  If Pre-K is due to some developmental delays then I would go after this principal and get him to move your child because this ESL class will just confuse him more.  If your child has an IEP and is developmentally delayed then the school has to put you in the correct placement and if they don't you need to contact your state office of special education.

Answer 2

My first suggestion is to talk to the principal.  Tell him why you want him in the regular class.  Remember you are ultimately in charge of your child's education.  Maybe they can move him as soon as there is an opening.

Answer 3

Is he a native speaker of English?  Is English your primary language at home?  If not, he's in the right class.

Or is English his only language?  Then I would ask the principal - how many native speakers are in this class?  Perhaps it's a bilingual classroom, in which case, there's nothing wrong with his attendance in this class!

I'm guessing that English is not the primary language spoken at home, looking at the grammar and spelling in your question.  Your son might be in the right classroom to get him ready for school.  If he makes progress, it's quite likely he'll be ready for a 'regular' classroom in a year or two.

Answer 4

If his native language is NOT english, it should be fine. It can actually be an advantage for him, as it was for me. I was placed in esl as a child and didnt move into an all english class until 3rd grade... but now I can speak read and write spanish, as well as speak read and write perfect english. And it is a huge advantage in the working world...

If he is a native english speaker, then there is no real reason he should be in an esl class since esl works toward teaching non-native speakers english....

if hes in a public school it shouldnt cost money to transfer him but it is possible other schools might not take him if you dont live in the surrounding neghborhoods. A private school can cost a lot of money, in the thousands.

I really think he should be left in esl if english is not his native language, esl does not make him less intelligent and does not place him further behind his classmates in all-english classes.

Answer 5

Are you sure it is not a bilingual classroom? If so, there should be kids in the room whose first language is English and kids whose first language is Spanish and the teachers should be using both languages. If that's what it is it is a great opportunity for your son to learn a second language. It's so much easier at 4 than it is at 13 or 14.

If it is not a bilingual class and there are no other kids who speak his language then you need to be a little more forceful with the principal.

Answer 6

When you enrolled your son in school you should have filled out what is called a Home Language Survey.  It asks what language is spoken in your home most of the time, what was the first language your child learned to speak, and other similar questions.  If the answer to anyone of those questions was anything other than English, your child would have been tested for his level of English proficiency.  Considering your sons age, he was probably only tested for listening and speaking skills (no reading or writing at this age).  If your child was anything less than proficient, then he qualified for ESL services.  If he qualified for services, you should have been contacted to attend what is called an LPAC (language proficiency assessment committee).  This is a meeting between school officials and parents to decide the best placement for your child.  After this meeting, you would have had to sign a permission slip to place your child in ESL classes - you would have had to agreed to the services for him to be placed in the classes.  If you did not sign anything like this, your son's school is breaking the law.  You can choose to deny ESL services for your son - that is your option.  However, if your son qualified for services, these services are probably in his best interest.  And seriously, he's only in pre-k - your son is not required to attend school until 1st grade.  Most school districts in Texas only offer pre-k to children whose first langauge is not English or have low income.  It's likely that your son may not be able to go to school if you deny the services.  You really need to talk to your school principal and ask for everything to be explained to you.  You might even want to consider spending some time in your son's classroom.  ESL means English as a Second Language - your son will only be taught in English.  The only difference is that the teacher will use different techniques - more pictures, more body movements, a lot of printed materials on the walls, etc.  Please talk to them about wanting to do what's best for your son.  As for moving him to another school, you won't be able to do this.  Your son must attend school in the attendance zone you live in.  There are some exceptions to this rule, but it doesn't sound like your situation is one that will allow you to do this.