FLES in FCPS - is it possible to opt out?

[Anonymous]

The fact that he hates it not the reason why I was asking if it was possible to opt out. It's because I am concerned that his LD is making it hard for him to be successful in Spanish, I'm worried that it's complicating his reading and writing skills in English (during a crucial developmental time), and his teacher isn't capable of adapting the curriculum to help meet his needs. So yes, he hates it, but I understand why.

[Anonymous]

If that is your concern than you are going to need to show that your child being in Spanish class 2x wk where he is learning to count, name colors, saying "Hola, " etc. is complicating his reading and writing skills in English. Your example of your son writing "si" for "is" is not going to do it and that is a common error for kids that age who have never heard a single Spanish word ever.

[Anonymous]

Well luckily for us, the administration has been really supportive and I think we'll start by pushing for the accommodations. But thanks for the snark and sarcasm, 18.49. It's always appreciated.

[Anonymous]

No snark or sarcasm was intended. You will have to show how 2x week Spanish has a negative educational impact if you want to opt out. Simple as that. By law, the school has to provide accommodations so that should be expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the one who posted about a child who has stuck with the program and likely will continue it. As I said up front, it depends on a child's disabilities. As for services, it's only now, late in elementary that we became fully aware that, legally, the school system is required to provide services or at least accomodations; most school systems, including ours, are not prepared for this and, in fact, for years we were told that they don't provide such services -- and we accepted that as accurate. It's not. So we've been working with them on accomodations. I will say that that the lack of services until now has definitely not been helpful but nevertheless, the special ed services in English have helped with Spanish reading and writing. DC's reading in Spanish took off at the same time as reading in English did -- but both also remain challenging (DC now reads close to grade level after lagging a year+ behind in English reading). Also, there's transference - DC was able to talk in English about subjects learned in Spanish with no problem. I also understand that speech issues can be very different - DC "only" has ADHD and a writing disability (although we think there may be others)

At the elementary level, foreign language isn't a core subject. FCPS is not required to provide foreign language special ed services. If a child is unable to access the curricula in the target language without special education services then immersion will be deemed inappropriate for the child and he will be re-assigned to a non-immersion classroom. Not saying kids wouldn't benefit from it but considering the funding situation, I understand it.

Not true as far as I know (whether they will provide services is another matter). VA special ed regs define foreign language as a core subject - period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the one who posted about a child who has stuck with the program and likely will continue it. As I said up front, it depends on a child's disabilities. As for services, it's only now, late in elementary that we became fully aware that, legally, the school system is required to provide services or at least accomodations; most school systems, including ours, are not prepared for this and, in fact, for years we were told that they don't provide such services -- and we accepted that as accurate. It's not. So we've been working with them on accomodations. I will say that that the lack of services until now has definitely not been helpful but nevertheless, the special ed services in English have helped with Spanish reading and writing. DC's reading in Spanish took off at the same time as reading in English did -- but both also remain challenging (DC now reads close to grade level after lagging a year+ behind in English reading). Also, there's transference - DC was able to talk in English about subjects learned in Spanish with no problem. I also understand that speech issues can be very different - DC "only" has ADHD and a writing disability (although we think there may be others)

At the elementary level, foreign language isn't a core subject. FCPS is not required to provide foreign language special ed services. If a child is unable to access the curricula in the target language without special education services then immersion will be deemed inappropriate for the child and he will be re-assigned to a non-immersion classroom. Not saying kids wouldn't benefit from it but considering the funding situation, I understand it.

Not true as far as I know (whether they will provide services is another matter). VA special ed regs define foreign language as a core subject - period.

While foreign language is defined in federal law as a core academic subject, it is not at the elementary school level. If it were, all elementary school kids in the US would receive foreign language instruction, there would be standardized testing and special education services would be provided in the target language. I doubt very much it's going to change any time soon.

The FCPS Office of Instruction has indicated in writing that ‘immersion’ is a supplement to the regular academic program and not an academic requirement. If special education services are required in the target language for a child to access the curricula, the child will be re-assigned to a regular classroom. Our education consultant has also indicated, even if we had the money for a legal battle, we wouldn’t win on this issue. Until foreign language is a core academic subject for elementary school kids, special education services aren’t required to be provided in the target language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm the one who posted about a child who has stuck with the program and likely will continue it. As I said up front, it depends on a child's disabilities. As for services, it's only now, late in elementary that we became fully aware that, legally, the school system is required to provide services or at least accomodations; most school systems, including ours, are not prepared for this and, in fact, for years we were told that they don't provide such services -- and we accepted that as accurate. It's not. So we've been working with them on accomodations. I will say that that the lack of services until now has definitely not been helpful but nevertheless, the special ed services in English have helped with Spanish reading and writing. DC's reading in Spanish took off at the same time as reading in English did -- but both also remain challenging (DC now reads close to grade level after lagging a year+ behind in English reading). Also, there's transference - DC was able to talk in English about subjects learned in Spanish with no problem. I also understand that speech issues can be very different - DC "only" has ADHD and a writing disability (although we think there may be others)

At the elementary level, foreign language isn't a core subject. FCPS is not required to provide foreign language special ed services. If a child is unable to access the curricula in the target language without special education services then immersion will be deemed inappropriate for the child and he will be re-assigned to a non-immersion classroom. Not saying kids wouldn't benefit from it but considering the funding situation, I understand it.

Not true as far as I know (whether they will provide services is another matter). VA special ed regs define foreign language as a core subject - period.

While foreign language is defined in federal law as a core academic subject, it is not at the elementary school level. If it were, all elementary school kids in the US would receive foreign language instruction, there would be standardized testing and special education services would be provided in the target language. I doubt very much it's going to change any time soon.

The FCPS Office of Instruction has indicated in writing that ‘immersion’ is a supplement to the regular academic program and not an academic requirement. If special education services are required in the target language for a child to access the curricula, the child will be re-assigned to a regular classroom. Our education consultant has also indicated, even if we had the money for a legal battle, we wouldn’t win on this issue. Until foreign language is a core academic subject for elementary school kids, special education services aren’t required to be provided in the target language.

It's defined the same way under Virginia State Regs without such limitations. Moreover, math is taught in the foreign language in immersion programs and the schools typically have bilingual special ed teachers working with kids in the target language. Besides, foreign language at any level can be deemed a supplement. I know a lot about immersion and have a child with special needs in such a program - the issue is a funding one. School systems would do well to develop services for reading in the target language and ensure aides are present during the language arts curriculum. Fairfax is obfuscating and not meeting its legal obligations.

The term "core academic subjects means English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography." (No Child Left Behind Act, 20 U.S.C. Section 7801(11); see pages 65-66 of Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind)

[Anonymous]

http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/acie/vol2/Bridge2.2.pdf

http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/965/Marjorie_L_Myers_Dissertation.pdf

http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/sl/index.html

I'm not minimizing the impact of various disabilities but I do think that parents of special needs kids often think it's just too hard to learn another language. There's research out there showing that this is often not the case (as well as detailing situations where, in fact, it would be problematic)

[Anonymous]

My child attends an immersion school, a DCPCS, and a bilingual Sp Ed teacher is permanently assigned to the classroom. I doubt they could meet the Sp Ed support written into my child's IEP otherwise since he spends 50% of his time in the target language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child attends an immersion school, a DCPCS, and a bilingual Sp Ed teacher is permanently assigned to the classroom. I doubt they could meet the Sp Ed support written into my child's IEP otherwise since he spends 50% of his time in the target language.

My DD is in a FCPS immersion school (Spanish) and it's a majority Hispanic school. There are no bilingual special ed teachers in the entire school at all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child attends an immersion school, a DCPCS, and a bilingual Sp Ed teacher is permanently assigned to the classroom. I doubt they could meet the Sp Ed support written into my child's IEP otherwise since he spends 50% of his time in the target language.

My DD is in a FCPS immersion school (Spanish) and it's a majority Hispanic school. There are no bilingual special ed teachers in the entire school at all!

How do they provide Sp Ed support then? Our school is immersion Mandarin and most students do not come from Mandarin speaking households. We don't. I would guess it's much easier to find bilingual Spanish/English Sp Ed teachers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child attends an immersion school, a DCPCS, and a bilingual Sp Ed teacher is permanently assigned to the classroom. I doubt they could meet the Sp Ed support written into my child's IEP otherwise since he spends 50% of his time in the target language.

My DD is in a FCPS immersion school (Spanish) and it's a majority Hispanic school. There are no bilingual special ed teachers in the entire school at all!

How do they provide Sp Ed support then? Our school is immersion Mandarin and most students do not come from Mandarin speaking households. We don't. I would guess it's much easier to find bilingual Spanish/English Sp Ed teachers...

They provide special ed services in English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They provide special ed services in English.

Do you mean services like OT, Speech therapy, etc? I can understand not being able to provide these services in the target language (although it shouln't be too difficult to fine Spanish speaking OTs, etc.)

If you mean the school is only able to provide special ed support in English that's too bad considering it's an immersion school. My DC gets 2 hrs of Sp Ed support daily per his IEP and it's in either English or Mandarin depending on whether it's English day or Chinese day. Would be very unhappy with the school (and likely illegal) if they only provided 1/2 the support mandated by his IEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They provide special ed services in English.

Do you mean services like OT, Speech therapy, etc? I can understand not being able to provide these services in the target language (although it shouln't be too difficult to fine Spanish speaking OTs, etc.)

If you mean the school is only able to provide special ed support in English that's too bad considering it's an immersion school. My DC gets 2 hrs of Sp Ed support daily per his IEP and it's in either English or Mandarin depending on whether it's English day or Chinese day. Would be very unhappy with the school (and likely illegal) if they only provided 1/2 the support mandated by his IEP.

Yes. I mean that special education (NOT OT/SLP/PT) are provided only in English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does your son learn in 2x Spanish class in first grade? I seriously doubt there is a lot of reading and/or writing. They probably learn to count, name stuff like body parts, etc. It definitely is not immersion or even learning a language. Only some exposure for enrichment and probably counts the same as a special like music, art and PE class. This is definitely NOT immersion.

Even if he hates the twice a week Spanish, I would not opt him out of it. If your DS did not like music, art or PE would you let him opt out simply b/c he did not like it. He's going to have to learn at some point that he needs to put forth effort on things he does not like... and this is only twice a wk.

A first grader with dyslexia is already learning that he needs to put forth effort on things he does not like. First grade is all about reading, which is unpleasant, hard work for a kid for whom rapid naming and phonemic awareness do not come easily. The idea that this child needs to go to another class, one where he doesn't get the support he needs, and where he's unlikely to learn anything more than that he hates foreign languages, to learn to put forth effort is ridiculous.

OP, if he has an IEP and gets any kind of specialized services outside of gen ed (e.g. specialized instruction, speech, OT, counseling), I'd push for those things to happen during the FLES time. If that's not possible, I'd either ask for some kind of computerized intervention, or an extra session of something he does enjoy. At most schools multiple classes across a grade level will have specials at the same time so that teachers can coplan. It's likely that there's another first grade class having art or music or PE while his class is in FLES. Perhaps he can join that class for something that he enjoys.