By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
Last Thursday, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education considered a possible expansion of the district’s Spanish/English dual-language program. Because it was a work-session item, the board made no decision regarding the expansion, but dual-language program staff will return to the board with more information for consideration at a later date.
Board members expressed mixed opinions about the possible expansion.
Board member Mike Kelley said he was pleased that school officials were considering expansion of the program. â€I’m very glad to see this proposal come forward,†he said. “I have been concerned about it only being available to some students.â€
The Spanish/English dual-language program is a language-immersion program in which classrooms are 50 percent native Spanish speakers, 50 percent native English speakers. Students are taught in both languages.
In the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, the Spanish/English dual-language program is only available to students at Carrboro Elementary. The district also has a Chinese/English dual-language program at Glenwood Elementary, but because the program is very small it’s available to students outside of Glenwood’s district.
Dual-language program staff proposed that the Spanish/English program be expanded to another elementary school in the district for the 2008-09 school year.
In addition, staff recommended that the program change to a magnet model in the 2009-10 school year in order to make it available to all students within the district.
“These kinds of programs are really important,†said José Nambo, dual-language program coordinator. “We have started to see some positive results and positive trends.â€
Nambo said he often hears from parents who are moving to the area and want to know where to enroll their students in school so that they can be a part of the program.
Board member Jean Hamilton said she was concerned about the cost of the program and would have to see more specific cost comparisons with other language programs before approving an expansion.
“We need to be really mindful of these relative costs,†Hamilton said, noting that the dual-language program is only available to some students, so costs should be tracked per student.
Board member Annetta Streater said she would like to see more African-American children enrolled in the program.
“My thinking is that there probably is not enough communication or there is some degree of anxiety or intimidation about the prospect of the child having to be introduced to a second language when there are already struggles with what is supposedly the native language,†Streater said. “It’s not being seen as an inclusive program.â€
Superintendent Neil Pedersen pointed out that the program was initially started in the district as “a better delivery system for the limited English-proficient students.â€
“This is a direction in which we honor the culture that the person brings, honor their language and want them to maintain that,†he added. “It will be an asset to them.â€