Missouri State Representative Emily Weber (D-24) joined Frontier Charter School of Innovation staff at the District’s Elementary campus at 6700 Corporate Drive in Executive Park in the East Bottoms this morning for a tour and a peek at the school’s ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program that supports multi-lingual learners in the classroom.

Weber, whose district runs from the Missouri River south to 47th Street and from State Line east to Troost was impressed with what she saw and spoke highly of the program and its inclusiveness for students from other cultures and countries.

“It’s a great opportunity for others in the classroom and the instructors to start understanding and learning about other cultures,” said Weber after leaving a first grade classroom. “I was really happy to learn that they talk about their diversity and their cultures and that was really great to hear. I think we need to do a lot more about that just in general. So that was a great, great experience.”

Approximately 70% of Frontier’s students are English language learners and the majority of students in their classrooms are first and second generation immigrant and refugees who are the first in their families to learn English.

Frontier offers tuition assistance to their teachers and staff to become ESOL certified in order to better support multilingual learners in their classrooms.