Many important advances in American education have come about because of the presence of immigrant children, journalism professor William Celis argues in an op-ed published in Education Week October 4. Celis points to a number of significant changes to the school system in the U.S. that are due to immigrants, including the introduction of trade schools, the creation of in-school health clinics, the addition of civics classes, and the increased ethnic diversity of teachers and administrators. He argues that the current influx of immigrants, many of whom come for the relative quality of American schools, may have similar positive effects. "Supporting immigrants’ rights and their access to schools and other services is not a popular stand," he writes. "But in the nascent years of the 21st century, we would be well served in harnessing once again the raw energy and sheer numbers of immigrants to inspire more substantive changes in schools." Celis is a former education correspondent for The New York Times.
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