By James Lomuscio
Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon, whose school system serves about 75 students from more than 50 countries, has been picked to serve on a state task force for English Language Learners (ELL), school officials announced today. 
Elliott Landon: “It’s very exiting.” Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Landon, credited for initiating an award winning ELL program in Long Beach, N.Y. while superintendent prior to coming to Westport, was chosen by state Rep. Christopher Donovan, D-Meriden.
Donovan, who serves as speaker of the House of Representatives, formed the task force to improve ELL programs statewide and serves as its chairman.
“It’s very exciting,” said Landon, who is his previous post was honored in 1999 by Circulo de La Hispanidad of Long Beach for developing and implementing K-12 programs for Spanish-speaking youngsters, netting growth in graduation rates.
“We’ll be focusing on the kinds of training the teachers get and the incentives people get to go into that field because I think there’s a dearth of ELL teachers,” he added.
Calling himself a longtime advocate of dual language instruction, Landon pointed out that while Westport does not have a high percentage of Hispanic students, the state’s predominant foreign speaking group, Westport has a number of students from other countries due to corporate transfers.
“We have a lot Norwegians, Swedes, kids from Israel, China, Asia, Europe and basically all over because many of their parents are transfers from international businesses,” Landon said. “We have kids who need help with English.”
He said that the 25-member task force made up of legislators and educators will work before the current legislative session ends to design an ELL program “that will enhance and improve instructional opportunities.”
“I’ve long been an advocate for dual language instruction,” said Landon, describing a cohort system he devised in Long Beach.
Under the Long Beach system, 20 students who speak Spanish study a subject, for example, social studies, with two teachers, one in the foreign language and one in English. For that same subject, students who speak English wind up doing the same, crossing over, learning the subject in both languages
“And eventually, as they move through the grades, the kids learn from the two teachers, and they know both languages,” Landon said. “The impact of that is the Spanish kids aren’t isolated, and they have a chance to work in a more diverse environment.
“They were able to defy the odds that are common for Latino in this country, and most went onto to college because they were totally integrated,” he added. “That’s not what happens in bilingual programs where kids are isolated from the culture, and it results in failure.”
Westport does not have such a cohort system, he explained, because the numbers are not that high, Landon said; however, the system offers English as a second Language in all schools.
