How far behind schools in Utah does the Lake Oswego School District want to be?

The Lake Oswego School District is wrestling with the issues of whether to develop Spanish and Mandarin immersion programs. They have had one previous public hearing and at last night’s Board meeting they heard from Dr. Jonnie Shobaki, the Lake Oswego School District’s (here) Director of Elementary Education. I was there. The Board intends to make a decision at its June 13^th meeting.

The substance of Dr. Shobaki’s presentation is online as part of the Board meeting packet here. It largely overlooks all the reasons and arguments for implementing Spanish and Mandarin immersion programs to focus on the practical problems of costs, space, teachers and enrollment that the District would face in moving ahead.

My own view is that, increasingly, globally competitive students will need to be bilingual when they graduate from high school, and that school districts that do not at least offer immersion programs as an option will be seen as offering a “second rate” education. The State of Utah, for example, is mainstreaming foreign language immersion programs, adding ten to fifteen schools each year with Spanish, French, or Mandarin immersion programs (here). How far behind schools in Utah does the Lake Oswego School District want to be?

Sarah Howell said it well last night in addressing the Board:

Are we committed to providing a 21^st century education that targets students becoming bilingual, bi-literate and ready to engage in the global economy? Additional costs in the long run will be little to none, but the benefits of these programs will be immeasurable.

 So true!

Update: From the 6/14/11 Oregonian article "Lake Oswego immerison program could get one more class, but parents still 'deflated' by board's decision" by Nicole Dungca (here):

.....the district will continue its current language immersion classes and could even add one Mandarin class for kindergarteners next year. Lake Oswego currently offers a Spanish and Mandarin language immersion pre-K program, as well as a Spanish class in kindergarten. 

The board also insisted it will continue looking into whether a full immersion program will be feasible.....

Comments

[MrsR411]

As a graduate of Lake Oswego High and a current Utah educator working with our dual immersion schools, I am disappointed that my childhood home, so far ahead when I moved to Utah, is now lagging behind in this critical needs area for 21st century learning.