WCS Bill of Rights for Parents of English Language Learners

    • The right for your children to receive a free public education in the school district where you live, regardless of your or your children’s immigration status (e.g., whether your family members are citizens, immigrants, or undocumented) and the language that you or your children speak.
    • The right to enroll your children in school without being asked to provide information or paperwork which may reveal your or your children’s immigration status. You cannot be asked to provide a social security card or number, an immigration visa or visa status, or citizenship documents or citizenship status.
    • The right under federal law to have a qualified interpreter/translator in your preferred language for critical interactions with the school district.
    • The right to written notice in English and your preferred language that your children have been identified as ELLs and will be placed in an English as a Second Language program.
      The right to receive information in writing and in your native language about your children’s English language development.
    • The right to meet with school staff at least once a year, in addition to other generally required meetings, to discuss your children’s overall learning and language development progress.
    • The right for your children to be placed in the English as a Second Language program within 10 days of enrollment, and the right to opt out of the English as a Second Language program. If you opt your child out of the program, he/she must still participate in the English Language Proficiency assessment each spring.
    • The right for your children to have equal access to all programming and services offered by the school district, appropriate to age and grade level including those required for graduation, and to all school programs available to other students.
    • The right for your children to receive all core content instruction, and to learn English and other subjects such as Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies at the same academic level as all other children. Being entitled to ELL services does not limit the ability to get core content instruction.
    • The right for your children to have full access to extracurricular activities (afterschool clubs, sports, etc.). Being entitled to ELL services does not limit the ability to take part in extracurricular activities.
    • The right for your children to get support services (e.g., Academic Intervention Services) aligned with any intervention plans, as deemed necessary by the school.
    • The right for your children to participate in annual assessments to determine their English language progress, and to obtain information about your children’s performance on academic tests, including Tennessee state tests.
    • The right to have your children continuously enrolled year to year in the English as a Second Language program while they remain ELLs.
    • The right to contact the Tennessee State Department of Education’s Office of Federal Programs and Oversight if any of the above rights have been violated.