The Marshall staff reflects the mix of cultures found in the city and in the school; nearly half are people of color. The following snapshots of a social studies class for Spanish speakers who are learning English illustrates the difference that this diversity makes for students: Today, the class is learning about constitutional rights. Students take turns reading, in Spanish, a passage about the United States Constitution. Though their reading skills vary widely, with some students stumbling after every few words, and others sailing through easily, their faces reflect the intensity with which they are focusing on the passage.

Recognizing that the topic at hand was rather abstract, Ms. Fajardo posed a number of questions to give concrete illustrations of constitutional rights and freedoms. After reading about the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, she asked students to think about the impact of social welfare programs on the quality of their daily lives. "Name some social welfare programs you know," she prompts in Spanish. "Food stamps," one student volunteered. When no other answers come, Ms. Fajardo asks, "Do you eat free lunch at school?" Her relationship with the students was an assurance that no stigma would be attached to this disclosure. As students nod their heads in answer to her question, she explains that this is an example of a social welfare program.

In virtually all her interactions, Ms. Fajardo addresses the students with Spanish words that express both affection and respect, at times calling the boys caballeros (gentlemen), and other times using the Spanish word for "sweetheart" with the girls. Both sentiments are reciprocated by her students, as evidenced by the number of kids who visit her classroom after school. A handsome, clean-cut boy came in to apologize for not returning the novel he borrowed from her last week. She assured him that he could keep the book for as long as he wanted, but he insisted that he would return it the next day. After he left, Ms. Fajardo proudly shared this boy's success story. As a seventh grader, he began his time at Marshall in her bilingual class and made steady progress. He transitioned to an English-only schedule in eighth grade and has been accepted at one of Chicago's top high schools for ninth grade.

Ms. Fajardo and her colleagues understand that transitioning to English-only classes is not just a matter of developing linguistic proficiency, students must be both linguistically and culturally fluent to succeed in the standard program. Ms. Fajardo recalls the case of a seventh grade girl whose English skills were very good, but who wasn't "ready to go into the [mainstream] culture yet." (In some cases, readiness simply involves developing enough confidence to speak up during large-group discussions or to approach the teacher for extra help.) Her teachers decided to keep her in the bilingual program until the end of the year and then transition her to the English program in eighth grade.

When asked what countries were represented in her class, Ms. Fajardo pointed to different seats around the now empty room. "There's the Dominican Republic over here, Chile over there, a lot of Mexico too." It is clear that she is picturing her students in detail as she names their birthplaces. Having emigrated from Latin America as a young woman, Ms. Fajardo has a deep understanding of the issues the students face on a daily basis.

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