To see Daily Planet story and pictures, click here:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/12/18/hopkins-hmong-students-governor-dayton-save-our-school-bus-rides
North Minneapolis Hmong students going to Hopkins and Wayzata schools
are asking governor Dayton to save the Choice Is Yours school bus
transportation that they use to get to their schools.
The Hmong students asked for a short meeting with Governor Dayton, to
tell him their life stories going from Hmong refugees to students in
America, and to tell him about the great education they are getting in
Hopkins and Wayzata schools.
When a governor’s aide emailed that governor Dayton would not meet with
the Hmong students, they decided to communicate with governor Dayton
through postcards.
The Hmong students are now writing, collecting, and sending hundreds of
postcards to the governor’s mansion. Many of the postcards have pictures
of the Hmong students: some in traditional Hmong clothing, some going to
Hopkins and Wayzata school activities, some doing their homework. Many
of the postcards tell stories of their favorite classes and how the
education they have gotten in Hopkins and Wayzata has helped them learn
and succeed.
Hue Yang is one of the students who has sent a postcard to governor
Dayton. When he was 12 years old, his family moved from the Wat Tam
Krabok refugee camp in Thailand to America and north Minneapolis. Hue
spoke no English.
Hue was the first of the North Minneapolis Hmong refugee students to
enter the Hopkins school system. At first it was very tough for Hue: he
was smaller than almost every other student, nobody else in the school
spoke his language, and because he was just beginning to learn English,
he often had difficulty understanding was being said in his classes.
But Hue studied very hard. His grades improved rapidly, and soon he was
taking advanced placement courses. Thanks to a lot of help from his
teachers and councilors, Hue graduated from Hopkins high and today he is
a freshman at the University of Minnesota. Hue’s journey from scrawny
Hmong refugee who knew no English to student at the University of
Minnesota is a great American success story.
And Hue’s story is far from unique among the Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong
students. When Kaoxue Vang’s family arrived in North Minneapolis from
Thailand, the only English word she knew was ‘love’. When her parents
heard about Hue’s educational experiences, They decided to enroll their
four oldest children in Hopkins schools. Kaoxue says because she was
still learning English she had to spend twice as much time as her
classmates on her homework. But she succeeded through hard work and
supportive and challenging teachers. Kaoxue graduated from Hopkins High,
and last year she also entered the University of Minnesota. On Sunday
nights Kaoxue now tutors other Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong refugee
children, helping them achieve academic success. Other Hmong refugee
students are also graduating from Hopkins high and going on to college.
As the story of Hue’s successes at Hopkins spread, dozens of other Hmong
families decided to enroll their students in Hopkins, while others
signed their children up for Wayzata schools. When the Hmong refugee
parents are asked why they are sending their children to Hopkins and
Wayzata schools, the same answer comes up again and again: they want
their children to learn English as fast as possible.
Most of the Hopkins Hmong students were born in the Wat Tham Krabok
refugee camp in Thailand, most came to the United States between 2004
and 2007, and almost none of the refugee Hmong students knew any English
when they landed in America and came to north Minneapolis.
The Hmong students say they like going to Hopkins and Wayzata because
they are surrounded by English speakers, take very challenging classes,
and get lots of help from their teachers. They explain that their
classes are smaller, they have more class offerings, and because the
other students in their classes study hard to go to college, it also
pushes the Hmong students to study harder.
For the past four school years, the University of Minnesota has been
studying the progress of these Hmong refugee students in the Hopkins
school system. The researchers conclude that the Hmong refugee students
are succeeding at Hopkins. Their study cites:
* Supportive, competent teachers go out of their way to help students
during and after school
* Students are pushed hard in mainstream classes, and specialized staff
give additional help on the hardest courses such as history and science
* Their academic English continues to steadily improve.
* Students are thriving in science classes and ELL classes
* Students value the abundance of academic activities, both during
school and after school, that are helping their academic success.
* Achievement data shows they are making steady academic progress
Key to the success of the Hmong students in Hopkins and Wayzata schools
has been the school bus rides that they got courtesy of Choice is Yours.
Without the school bus rides, the North Minneapolis Hmong students would
be forced to drop out of the Hopkins and Wayzata schools.
In the 2011 Minnesota legislative session, the senate education
committee voted to terminate Choice is Yours and to stop the school bus
transportation. Scores of Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong students went in two
waves to the state capitol. They talked with dozens of legislators. The
Hmong students succeeded in persuading legislators to back Choice is
yours, and Choice is Yours was reinstated in the final budget agreement
between the legislators and governor Dayton. State senators Patricia
Torres Ray and Terri Bonoff have worked very closely with the Hmong
students.
This year the Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong students decided that If
governor Dayton heard about the excellent education they were getting at
Hopkins and Wayzata and how much it was changing their lives, then they
had a better chance of preserving their school bus rides.
Hmong students also hoped governor Dayton would find their story
interesting and educational: hearing how students in a few years have
gone from destitute refugees knowing no English to university students
might offer insights into how Minnesota and the nation can overcome the
challenges of high dropout rates and low student performance.
Some day the Minneapolis Hmong students still hope to meet governor
Dayton. They know that governor Dayton visits with many other groups of
people in Minnesota.
In the meantime, they hope the postcards have helped tell governor
Dayton about their lives starting as Hmong refugees and becoming
successful American students getting a great education in Hopkins and
Wayzata schools.
And they hope that governor Dayton will help continue their educational
success by supporting their Choice Is Yours bus transportation to
Hopkins and Wayzata schools.
Jay Clark
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2012/12/18/hopkins-hmong-students-governor-dayton-save-our-school-bus-rides
North Minneapolis Hmong students going to Hopkins and Wayzata schools
are asking governor Dayton to save the Choice Is Yours school bus
transportation that they use to get to their schools.
The Hmong students asked for a short meeting with Governor Dayton, to
tell him their life stories going from Hmong refugees to students in
America, and to tell him about the great education they are getting in
Hopkins and Wayzata schools.
When a governor’s aide emailed that governor Dayton would not meet with
the Hmong students, they decided to communicate with governor Dayton
through postcards.
The Hmong students are now writing, collecting, and sending hundreds of
postcards to the governor’s mansion. Many of the postcards have pictures
of the Hmong students: some in traditional Hmong clothing, some going to
Hopkins and Wayzata school activities, some doing their homework. Many
of the postcards tell stories of their favorite classes and how the
education they have gotten in Hopkins and Wayzata has helped them learn
and succeed.
Hue Yang is one of the students who has sent a postcard to governor
Dayton. When he was 12 years old, his family moved from the Wat Tam
Krabok refugee camp in Thailand to America and north Minneapolis. Hue
spoke no English.
Hue was the first of the North Minneapolis Hmong refugee students to
enter the Hopkins school system. At first it was very tough for Hue: he
was smaller than almost every other student, nobody else in the school
spoke his language, and because he was just beginning to learn English,
he often had difficulty understanding was being said in his classes.
But Hue studied very hard. His grades improved rapidly, and soon he was
taking advanced placement courses. Thanks to a lot of help from his
teachers and councilors, Hue graduated from Hopkins high and today he is
a freshman at the University of Minnesota. Hue’s journey from scrawny
Hmong refugee who knew no English to student at the University of
Minnesota is a great American success story.
And Hue’s story is far from unique among the Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong
students. When Kaoxue Vang’s family arrived in North Minneapolis from
Thailand, the only English word she knew was ‘love’. When her parents
heard about Hue’s educational experiences, They decided to enroll their
four oldest children in Hopkins schools. Kaoxue says because she was
still learning English she had to spend twice as much time as her
classmates on her homework. But she succeeded through hard work and
supportive and challenging teachers. Kaoxue graduated from Hopkins High,
and last year she also entered the University of Minnesota. On Sunday
nights Kaoxue now tutors other Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong refugee
children, helping them achieve academic success. Other Hmong refugee
students are also graduating from Hopkins high and going on to college.
As the story of Hue’s successes at Hopkins spread, dozens of other Hmong
families decided to enroll their students in Hopkins, while others
signed their children up for Wayzata schools. When the Hmong refugee
parents are asked why they are sending their children to Hopkins and
Wayzata schools, the same answer comes up again and again: they want
their children to learn English as fast as possible.
Most of the Hopkins Hmong students were born in the Wat Tham Krabok
refugee camp in Thailand, most came to the United States between 2004
and 2007, and almost none of the refugee Hmong students knew any English
when they landed in America and came to north Minneapolis.
The Hmong students say they like going to Hopkins and Wayzata because
they are surrounded by English speakers, take very challenging classes,
and get lots of help from their teachers. They explain that their
classes are smaller, they have more class offerings, and because the
other students in their classes study hard to go to college, it also
pushes the Hmong students to study harder.
For the past four school years, the University of Minnesota has been
studying the progress of these Hmong refugee students in the Hopkins
school system. The researchers conclude that the Hmong refugee students
are succeeding at Hopkins. Their study cites:
* Supportive, competent teachers go out of their way to help students
during and after school
* Students are pushed hard in mainstream classes, and specialized staff
give additional help on the hardest courses such as history and science
* Their academic English continues to steadily improve.
* Students are thriving in science classes and ELL classes
* Students value the abundance of academic activities, both during
school and after school, that are helping their academic success.
* Achievement data shows they are making steady academic progress
Key to the success of the Hmong students in Hopkins and Wayzata schools
has been the school bus rides that they got courtesy of Choice is Yours.
Without the school bus rides, the North Minneapolis Hmong students would
be forced to drop out of the Hopkins and Wayzata schools.
In the 2011 Minnesota legislative session, the senate education
committee voted to terminate Choice is Yours and to stop the school bus
transportation. Scores of Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong students went in two
waves to the state capitol. They talked with dozens of legislators. The
Hmong students succeeded in persuading legislators to back Choice is
yours, and Choice is Yours was reinstated in the final budget agreement
between the legislators and governor Dayton. State senators Patricia
Torres Ray and Terri Bonoff have worked very closely with the Hmong
students.
This year the Hopkins and Wayzata Hmong students decided that If
governor Dayton heard about the excellent education they were getting at
Hopkins and Wayzata and how much it was changing their lives, then they
had a better chance of preserving their school bus rides.
Hmong students also hoped governor Dayton would find their story
interesting and educational: hearing how students in a few years have
gone from destitute refugees knowing no English to university students
might offer insights into how Minnesota and the nation can overcome the
challenges of high dropout rates and low student performance.
Some day the Minneapolis Hmong students still hope to meet governor
Dayton. They know that governor Dayton visits with many other groups of
people in Minnesota.
In the meantime, they hope the postcards have helped tell governor
Dayton about their lives starting as Hmong refugees and becoming
successful American students getting a great education in Hopkins and
Wayzata schools.
And they hope that governor Dayton will help continue their educational
success by supporting their Choice Is Yours bus transportation to
Hopkins and Wayzata schools.
Jay Clark
