By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer
Another Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education meeting, another hour dedicated to dual language.
Although it was nowhere on the agenda of last Thursday night’s meeting, parents, students and staff from Frank Porter Graham Elementary and Glenwood Elementary schools attended the meeting to voice their concerns.
Due to the large volume of people who showed up to the board’s April 19 meeting to speak against the district’s recent dual-language recommendations, a police officer was on hand at this meeting to help with crowd control, and comments were again limited to two minutes instead of the usual three.
However, before the public comments even started, school board member Jamezetta Bedford apologized for how quickly the report containing the dual-language recommendations was released.
Bedford told the packed room she believed that if the board had a chance to do it over again they would have liked to create it with more input from the affected parties.
“We would have liked to meet in advance with you all before that dual-language report was released,†Bedford said as the crowd thanked her and gave her a loud round of applause.
The dual-language administrative team, formed by the school board, released a report on March 26 with recommendations on how to improve the school district’s dual-language programs. These included expanding the Spanish dual-language program, terminating the K-5 Mandarin program at Glenwood and converting Frank Porter Graham to a Spanish dual-language magnet school for the 2013-14 school year.
Many parents said they thought the recommendations were made too quickly, without thoughtful research into how the different communities would be affected.
Kristin Somers, who has been helping resettle Karen refugees through Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, talked to the school board about how the Karen population would be negatively affected if FPG is turned into a magnet school.
“You think that children are the most adaptable,†Somers said. “However, it’s a struggle to make friends and complete their school work for those who cannot speak English.â€
Somers talked about how the large Karen community surrounding FPG helps support one another when parents don’t have cars or have to work nights.
While many spoke about their grievances with the report, some parents presented the school board with solutions.
Sharon Stevens, a parent of three children at FPG, suggested the district’s elementary school 12 should become a dual-language magnet school when it opens.
“Everyone will know that if their child is in dual language they will be moved there,†Stevens said. “That means no surprises.â€
“We don’t want to fight about whose school Frank Porter Graham gets to be,†she added.
The dual-language advisory team will be presenting to the board at their May 17 meeting.