Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Announces Bilingual Education Grant For Marina Middle School
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today announced a grant of $150,000 from the Department of Education for the San Francisco Unified School District to support the Marina Language Project at the Marina Middle School. "This grant is an important part of our commitment to the children of San Francisco, especially those who are learning English as a second language," Pelosi said.
The money will help local school officials improve the quality of the Chinese bilingual classes which have historically been under-funded by Title VII grants. It will add much needed staff and support teacher training, tutoring, new technology, and academic and career counseling programs. The Marina Middle School has a long history of serving newcomers and long-time residents of San Francisco. Nearly 75% of the students are from low income families.
Test scores for the school fall in the high-middle range, but are significantly lower for children who are now learning English. School officials predict higher student achievement, stronger family-school ties, and greater access to high school and beyond for students in the program served by this grant. "There is a return on this investment that goes well beyond the money that has been given to the Marina Middle School," Pelosi said. "These children will do better and have greater opportunity because of it, and that can only make San Francisco stronger."
