In an effort to recognize the achievements of bilingual education in New York City, the East Coast Association of Chinese-English Bilingual Education awarded the “Outstanding Education Leadership Award” to three principals from Queens – Principal Barresi from School 20, Principal Marsaggi from School 163, and Principal Tweedy from School 173 at a ceremony held at the Flushing Library on June 13th.
The three honored principals received their awards from State Senator Liu Chunyi, as a token of appreciation for their exceptional leadership abilities and dedication to students and the school community. The bilingual students in these schools have demonstrated impressive skills and cultural literacy in both English and Chinese, proving that bilingual education not only fosters bilingual proficiency but also enhances academic success.
District 26 Superintendent Anthony Inzerillo noted that bilingual program students in the district consistently perform at the top of the academic rankings. The principals and teachers have invested considerable time, effort, and dedication to support multilingual education and bridge cultural exchanges.
Parent Association member Zhu Baoling emphasized the importance of bilingual education, particularly in Flushing’s District 25, which has over 25,000 Chinese students. She recalled her tenure as a board member in the district and her advocacy for ESL (English as a Second Language) and bilingual education, leading to the implementation of ESL programs in all schools in District 25.
The three principals expressed gratitude towards the East Coast Association of Chinese-English Bilingual Education and the Parent Association for the recognition, as well as their respective school’s bilingual program teachers. It is the teachers’ dedication that has contributed to the students’ achievements and the remarkable success of bilingual education.
According to information from the New York City Department of Education, over 500 dual-language (DL) programs are offered in public schools, catering to both English language learners (ELL) and native English speakers to develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in two languages.
Teachers and individual parents from various bilingual programs attended the award ceremony, sharing how students mastering a second language has benefited their growth and understanding of multiculturalism, and may serve as a unique advantage in future job searches.
Teacher Wang from School 173 mentioned that their bilingual program began in 2007, and the first graduating students have now entered the workforce successfully, attributing their job prospects to the advantage of being bilingual, passing both English and Chinese interviews. They expressed gratitude towards the teachers of the bilingual program for their enduring impact.
Teacher Cheng from School 173 explained that their bilingual classes have two models: one with the same teacher instructing in both Chinese and English, and another with separate teachers for each language. The students in these bilingual classes come from Chinese and non-Chinese backgrounds, with parents either interested in Chinese language or preparing their children for bilingualism in the future.
Adding to Wang’s remarks, some Chinese parents, as second-generation immigrants, place high value on their children learning Chinese well, having regretted not mastering the language themselves in childhood. Meanwhile, third-generation Chinese children who excel in the bilingual program surpass their parents’ Chinese proficiency and serve as bridges in communication between their parents and grandparents.