Helping Hispanic Students, Parents

Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, and Gov. Mike Easley has started a campaign to encourage Hispanic students to stay in school.

And as the English as a Second Language and Dual Language Emergence Program coordinator for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Rangel recognizes the importance of outreach to the Hispanic community.

"The Hispanic population is lacking a lot of resources, and kids become frustrated and drop out of school," Rangel said. "Their parents cannot help them with homework, and there is no one there to support them."

The school system is planning an open house for Hispanics this month to introduce staff and teachers to the parents and help them with paperwork.

Rangel will attend the open house to answer any questions parents might have about the program or their children. "The main key is reaching across the gap toward parents so they can feel comfortable," she said.

Rangel said she fills many roles with her job, including that of a counselor, a teacher and a friend.

"I can relate to the kids because I used to be an ESL student and also I am Hispanic," she said.

Her responsibilities involve working with the ESL and dual language teachers and supervising the program to make sure it is following guidelines.

Managing staff development and helping principals and parents with questions about ESL also is part of Rangel's many duties.

Rangel, born in Mexico and raised in New York, received her bachelor's degree in bilingual culture from UNC.

She said she has been happy with the community's reception of her position.

"Teachers really care about what we do," she said. "We are the counselors and friends to the children."

A former ESL and Spanish teacher, she took the position as a coordinator in Chapel Hill on July 15.

Josephine Harris, director of special programs for the school system, said Rangel's vast experience will add to the program.

"Rosa has come on board providing leadership in ESL and a lot of rich experiences in bilingual education," Harris said.

She said Rangel, in a short amount of time, already has had a strong impact on those she works with.

"She has only been here for three months, and we are already beginning to see the difference she is making in the schools and the community," Harris said.

Rangel said she was extremely pleased with the assistance she got from the staff in making the transition since starting work in July. "I am very proud to be working with a staff that is going that extra mile to deal with ESL issues," she said.

Rangel is also the Dual Language Emergence Program coordinator with Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools.

The program involves Spanish, English and Chinese languages, with students spending half a day learning English and the other half either Spanish or Chinese.

"With this program, you are training these kids to gain cultural awareness, to become bilingual and bi-literate," Rangel said. "The more diverse you are, the more sensitive you are to other cultures."

Rangel said her position is especially important because many Hispanic students are dropping out of school because of language barriers and lack of support.

"We need to be aware that these kids -- every kid in our school system -- is our future," Rangel said.

Rangel said the next goal on her list is to learn Chinese when it is offered in the district so she can better help with the Chinese part of the dual emergence program.

But in the meantime, Rangel said, she is enjoying her new responsibilities.

"My job helps me utilize my experience as an administrator, an ESL teacher and a bilingual teacher," Rangel said.

"Here I am doing everything I ever wanted."

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