FL Freak Out -- course ending at 2.5 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oooh, care to share what language is being offered? Good for your kid for taking a less commonly taught language!

It's Italian. There are staffing shortages for another language at a lower (county required) tier, so the teacher is saying they have to teach the other class because no one is staffed in it. So, the program isn't ending, they just don't have the staffing to offer everything slated it seems. But, the other class is Spanish. I struggle to see how a Spanish teacher for level 1 can't be found.

[Anonymous]

In my kid’s high school, the upper-level language classes are often combined. So she’s taking French 4 along with a SL IB French class. There are additional activities and assessments for the IB students, and there are enhanced expectations on the exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oooh, care to share what language is being offered? Good for your kid for taking a less commonly taught language!

It's Italian. There are staffing shortages for another language at a lower (county required) tier, so the teacher is saying they have to teach the other class because no one is staffed in it. So, the program isn't ending, they just don't have the staffing to offer everything slated it seems. But, the other class is Spanish. I struggle to see how a Spanish teacher for level 1 can't be found.

Which options remain for FL study if Spanish is not offered ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oooh, care to share what language is being offered? Good for your kid for taking a less commonly taught language!

It's Italian. There are staffing shortages for another language at a lower (county required) tier, so the teacher is saying they have to teach the other class because no one is staffed in it. So, the program isn't ending, they just don't have the staffing to offer everything slated it seems. But, the other class is Spanish. I struggle to see how a Spanish teacher for level 1 can't be found.

Which options remain for FL study if Spanish is not offered ?

Spanish is offered. There is just a teacher shortage. Not enough teachers for the sections.

[Anonymous]

Independent study through your school is the way to go (maybe with an online course?). Have your DC speak to the current teacher and the head of the world languages department to find an advisor. You can also look at enrolling in a class at a local university or community college. Maybe do an independent study this semester and find a cool language related travel opportunity or summer language course. If this is your first kid, you may not know that the Common App has an essay space for “any other information” you want to share with colleges. This would be the perfect spot for your DC to explain what happened and how she responded and showed resilience. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oooh, care to share what language is being offered? Good for your kid for taking a less commonly taught language!

It's Italian. There are staffing shortages for another language at a lower (county required) tier, so the teacher is saying they have to teach the other class because no one is staffed in it. So, the program isn't ending, they just don't have the staffing to offer everything slated it seems. But, the other class is Spanish. I struggle to see how a Spanish teacher for level 1 can't be found.

Which options remain for FL study if Spanish is not offered ?

Spanish is offered. There is just a teacher shortage. Not enough teachers for the sections.

Reminds me of Henry Ford and the Model T when he said: "You can have it in any color you want so long as it is black."

My question was inquiring about which language options are being offered which your student can take in lieu of Italian ?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think they care, but there are lots of ways to learn and language and prove your proficiency. I took high school French for four years and didn’t learn squat. I think maybe I had to take and fail a test and then take more useless french to meet the college requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not join the club of whichever language is preferred? That way, DC can say they studied two and did an activity related to one.

I wouldn't assume that a language dropped due to lack of interest has a club

[Anonymous]

I can’t understand why colleges would look twice at this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oooh, care to share what language is being offered? Good for your kid for taking a less commonly taught language!

It's Italian. There are staffing shortages for another language at a lower (county required) tier, so the teacher is saying they have to teach the other class because no one is staffed in it. So, the program isn't ending, they just don't have the staffing to offer everything slated it seems. But, the other class is Spanish. I struggle to see how a Spanish teacher for level 1 can't be found.

Which options remain for FL study if Spanish is not offered ?

Spanish is offered. There is just a teacher shortage. Not enough teachers for the sections.

Reminds me of Henry Ford and the Model T when he said: "You can have it in any color you want so long as it is black."

My question was inquiring about which language options are being offered which your student can take in lieu of Italian ?

Nothing really. Colleges want 3+ years of the same language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oooh, care to share what language is being offered? Good for your kid for taking a less commonly taught language!

It's Italian. There are staffing shortages for another language at a lower (county required) tier, so the teacher is saying they have to teach the other class because no one is staffed in it. So, the program isn't ending, they just don't have the staffing to offer everything slated it seems. But, the other class is Spanish. I struggle to see how a Spanish teacher for level 1 can't be found.

Which options remain for FL study if Spanish is not offered ?

Spanish is offered. There is just a teacher shortage. Not enough teachers for the sections.

Reminds me of Henry Ford and the Model T when he said: "You can have it in any color you want so long as it is black."

My question was inquiring about which language options are being offered which your student can take in lieu of Italian ?

Nothing really. Colleges want 3+ years of the same language.

Colleges want a lot of things. I just find it really sad that instead of enjoying the richness of language study OP is fixated on checking boxes and likely communicating that freakout to her daughter. Sh*t happens in life, including bureaucratic decisions that don’t go your way.

[Anonymous]

yes but when a school is getting 80000 apps, not having met it suggested high school benchmarks may get you tossed out without a second glance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have to pay for a private tutor, OP. In the DC area, I hope you can find someone who can teach that language. If this is important for your daughter and her college and career prospects, you need to make that happen.

This happened to my friend's kids - the language they had started to study was canceled. They were furious but in public school, there's nothing you can do. There are staffing shortages, budget issues and, for some schools, no available classrooms because they're so overcrowded - and it doesn't make sense to hire a teacher if the demand is low.

I would bite the bullet and do this, but how would credit work in that situation? Don't the colleges need to see it on a transcript somewhere?

PP you replied to. My kids take their native language outside of their public school and don't take credit for it, even though their weekend language school actually has an agreement with MCPS to get half credit for every semester taken. They don't need the extra credit. But the important part is that they took (or will take) the AP exam and indicate that on their college apps. My senior got a 5/5 on his exam, and also took one of our country's language proficiency tests given by our government, and mentioned both in a couple of places, because of how the Common App is structured.

So I encourage you to get a tutor and if the College Board does not have an AP exam for that language, do your best to find another examination your kid can take, and/or have her tutor or language school include a letter of recommendation explaining her proficiency level.

[Anonymous]

I think as long as it’s made clear the student took up to the highest level available at school that means something. Then if the student is really interested in the language find other ways to remain engaged with it. For example, outside classes, independent studies, a school club, TA for an intro class at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t understand why colleges would look twice at this.

Well, many students, even those who plan to major in STEM fields, are now being rejected even by public flagships, etc., because their coverage and rigor aren't perfect in a foreign language. A glance at the transcript, and the student is not admitted. OP is correct to be thinking through options to address this issue.