U-46 parents to attend conference that speaks their language

With a pending racial bias lawsuit, a new method of assessment and a newly nominated superintendent, the list of concerns is lengthy for bilingual parents in Elgin Area School District U-46.

There's a time and a place to discuss these issues, said Martin DePalma, a member of U-46's bilingual parent advisory council.

This weekend's annual summit for bilingual parents in Oak Brook isn't one of them.

"The summit isn't the right place to address local concerns," said Martin DePalma, one of the 11 bilingual U-46 parents attending the conference.

Instead, the group plans to use the event to network and share experiences, DePalma said.

The summit will focus on educational programs, higher education opportunities, parental leadership, and community outreach. The more than 30 breakout sessions will be translated into Arabic, English, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Urdu.

About 50 public school districts from across the state will be represented at the conference, according to an Illinois State Board of Education news release.

Lilikalâ Kame'eleihiwa, a professor at the University of Hawaii, and José Angel Gutiérrez, an attorney and professor in the department of political science at the University of Texas, are keynote speakers. Other featured speakers include two Democrats from Chicago, state Sen. William Delgado and state Rep. Cynthia Soto.

The U-46 bilingual parent advisory council hopes to host their own bilingual conference in Elgin this fall, DePalma said.