From Puerto Rico to District 6 Classrooms

District 6 staff members waited eagerly at O'Hare International Airport on Thursday, January 16th to welcome the newest members of our team. After hours of travel, and with bags in hand, Mildred Acevedo, Mercedes Cruz, and Lissette Rosa arrived in Chicago to begin a new chapter of their lives - bringing with them years of experience and bilingual excellence from their homes in Puerto Rico. They are extremely excited to have joined the District 6 family.

In our efforts to continuously recruit highly qualified staff members to join our team, Zion Elementary School District 6 has expanded recruitment opportunities across not only state lines, but beyond the domestic U.S. During a recruitment trip to Puerto Rico in December, the District 6 team was successful in the hiring of three talented, bilingual teachers, who made the courageous decision to leave their homes in order to make an impact on the students in our school district. Ms. Acevedo, Ms. Cruz, and Ms. Rosa have officially begun their positions as Resource Teachers in Special Education and English Language Learners classrooms, and are transitioning into life at District 6.

The continuous expansion of our bilingual staff will help meet the growing need for such individuals in our District's dual language, bilingual, and special education classrooms. This will support the district in better serving our growing Hispanic student body, which makes up approximately 49% of all students in the district. Having instructors who can simultaneously teach in both English and the parents' native language is so very important for the students and families that we serve.