The percentage of non-English speaking homes in Middle Tennessee and its effects in the classroom

The percentage of people in Middle Tennessee who do not speak English at home has a direct impact on the region’s educational systems.

According to the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau, the state of Tennessee has a high population of people that speak languages other than English. Language development and communication skills are critical components in Tennessee's educational system. School systems use the data from the U.S. Census to provide language development support for their non-English students.

The median percentage of people who speak languages other than English is more abundant in the region of Middle Tennessee. Davidson, Williamson, and Rutherford counties have some of the highest percentages on the map. Davidson County is the highest with a median estimate of 18 percent. Many of the people represented in this data are students who are enrolled in Middle Tennessee school systems.

Allison Martin is a district English as a Second Language (ESL) Coordinator for the Warren County School System located in Middle Tennessee. She is responsible for making sure the ESL students are being served and that their ESL teachers are following the state mandated ESL curriculum.

According to Mrs. Martin, “The ESL population is an important part of our school system’s community.” She goes on to state that, “the state of Tennessee has created special standards and a curriculum that is designed to help our ESL students succeed in learning the English language.”

Angie Clayborne, a veteran teacher, has been working in the Warren County School District for thirty years. During her teaching career she has seen the population of ESL students increase throughout the years. Mrs. Angie explains how she has seen the ESL program evolve over the years and the impact it has had upon the school system.

Mrs. Angie says, “ When I first started teaching, we didn’t have an ESL program.” She explains the difficulty of communicating with the non-English speaking students and their families before the implementation of the ESL program. She goes on to state that, “now every school in our district has access to translators, and ESL teachers who work together with classroom teachers to provide help for our ESL students.” According to Mrs. Angie, “this addition to our school system has been both beneficial and necessary as our population of ESL students continues to increase in our district.”

Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Angie both have witnessed the rise in population of students from non-English speaking homes. They have seen first hand the impact this increase has had on the school system. ESL teachers had to be endorsed, and a new curriculum had to be implemented in order to best support their ESL students. The data reflects the percentage of ESL students in the classrooms of Middle Tennessee schools. The classrooms and school systems in the Middle Tennessee region will continue to evolve and expand their resources to better serve their ESL students and families.