Little Bill Clinton

A school year in the life of a new American

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In Atlanta's northeastern suburbs, a refugee community is growing where almost every family is a story of Americans-in-the-making. DeKalb County's seven-year-old International Community School - a charter school - was founded to bring their children together with native-born kids in a community model that welcomes and celebrates student diversity. This school year, the Monitor is exploring this model through the eyes and experiences of Congolese third-grader Bill Clinton Hadam and the ICS community.

Part 14 | 12.22.10

Refugee comfort zone: Olympic training and US citizenship for newborns

Refugee Bill Clinton Hadam finds a comfort zone in elite Olympic training. And his family now includes its first US citizens – newborn twins.

Part 13 | 08.12.09

Unafraid to talk about faith, a charter school thrives

Based in a public charter school for refugees and American-born students, a reporter looks back on year of progress

Part 12 | 07.14.09

What it’s like to be a refugee in America

Global conflict and recession chip away at America’s ability to protect the huddled masses it has rescued: some go homeless, some even return to war zones to make a living.

Part 12 sidebar | 07.14.09

Does one-size refugee resettlement fit?

From worlds apart, a Burmese rice farmer and an Iraqi ccountant share a dream

Part 12, sidebar | 07.14.09

A refugee gatekeeper’s lament

A former UN resettlement interviewer talks about the difficult task of looking in a refugee's eyes and deciding yes or no.

Part 11 | 06.08.09

A genocide survivor races the clock to get to the U.S.

Lost in migration: Neema John survived genocide and rape, but can she beat the red tape to be reunited with her family in Atlanta?

Part 10 | 03.09.09

Charter schools’ biggest crisis: A place to call home

A Georgia public charter school is crammed into a rented church, while a school building nearby stands empty.

Part 9 | 02.12.09

Tackling the three R’s in a second or third language

Math may be a universal language – but what happens when your word problem includes words you don't know?

Part 8 | 02.11.09

Who’s failing – the student or the test?

Refugee Bill Clinton Hadam’s tears of frustration in school have ended – and he relishes challenge. But his progress is not considered adequate by federal government standards.

Part 7 | 02.09.09

Third-grade math: a teacher’s calculus

Reconciling diverse languages, experiences, and the playfulness common to all 9-year-olds, Ann Griffith’s job is to get her students to the right answers.

Part 6 | 12.18.08

A teen shooting expands a school community’s borders

When a fourth-grader’s older brother is arrested for murder, the International Community School’s sense of a ‘beloved community’ means supporting the struggling families of both victim and shooter.

Part 5 | 11.24.08

Caught in the refugee cycle – for life?

In a ‘Sophie’s choice’ dilemma, Neema John’s refugee family left Africa without her to take their offer of resettlement in the US. Part 5 of a series about Congolese refugee third-grader Bill Clinton Hadam.

Part 4 | 10.23.08

“No Child” leaving charter school behind?

Refugee staff is key to the International Community School. But with credentials lost in war or flight and English not yet perfect, they are also a liability.

Part 3 | 10.22.08

Spirit of a charter school confronts letter of the law

Up for renewal, the International Community School must transition from messy ‘miracle’ to meeting shifting guidelines under No Child Left Behind.

Part 2 | 08.11.08

An Atlanta school makes a community from a world of difference

Cash poor, rich in spirit, this haven for refugee children is sought after by American families

Part 1 | 08.07.08

A 9-year-old finds refuge in suburban Atlanta

Bill Clinton Hadam’s America the beautiful: scary fireworks, thrilling bike stunts, and TV.