Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, better use of resources, especially in Title 1 schools, is to use that money for reading and math supports.

Nope. People keep trying to drop arts programs, foreign language, etc. for yet MORE reading and math supports. Kids need to be exposed to more than reading and math. Some schools barely teach science and social studies because the primary focus is on math and reading. Obviously those are the two important foundations for education, but we need to stop focusing solely on those two subjects.

No one cares if you know science and social studies in day to day real life and in most jobs. But you need to be able to read and do basic math in your day to day life and for most employment, even menial low wage jobs.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, better use of resources, especially in Title 1 schools, is to use that money for reading and math supports.

Nope. People keep trying to drop arts programs, foreign language, etc. for yet MORE reading and math supports. Kids need to be exposed to more than reading and math. Some schools barely teach science and social studies because the primary focus is on math and reading. Obviously those are the two important foundations for education, but we need to stop focusing solely on those two subjects.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is at Garrison and they made the decision to drop Spanish as a special in favor of adding a science teacher.

How does that work exactly? Do they teach all of the DCPS science curriculum in 1 hour per week or is it a supplement to science taught by the students' regular teacher?

They are supposed to have more than one hour/week of Spanish, so at our kids' school, when they added a science teacher, the two science teachers divided up the gades, and kids had science multiple times per week. Some was in small groups (half the class) and the other class stayed behind for more math, and then they switched. This allowed for some more math differentiation as well too, so teachers could focus on needs of the specific group.

(this was my post, I meant to say that they are supposed to have more than one day of 'Science')

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, better use of resources, especially in Title 1 schools, is to use that money for reading and math supports.

Our title 1 school has reading support, reading acceleration, math support and Spanish.

If the majority of kids are below grade level in math or ELA, then you need more support than what you have.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, better use of resources, especially in Title 1 schools, is to use that money for reading and math supports.

Our title 1 school has reading support, reading acceleration, math support and Spanish.

Anonymous wrote:John Francis has latin as a special

That’s because the old principal wanted kids to go to Walls and take Latin. I’m surprised they haven’t changed the language yet.

John Francis has latin as a special

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is at Garrison and they made the decision to drop Spanish as a special in favor of adding a science teacher.

How does that work exactly? Do they teach all of the DCPS science curriculum in 1 hour per week or is it a supplement to science taught by the students' regular teacher?

They are supposed to have more than one hour/week of Spanish, so at our kids' school, when they added a science teacher, the two science teachers divided up the gades, and kids had science multiple times per week. Some was in small groups (half the class) and the other class stayed behind for more math, and then they switched. This allowed for some more math differentiation as well too, so teachers could focus on needs of the specific group.

Honestly, better use of resources, especially in Title 1 schools, is to use that money for reading and math supports.

Anonymous wrote:Many DCPS ESs have FL as a special. Ours does. It rotates with the other specials so is offered only a few times per week for less than an hour per class. It only succeeds in providing limited exposure to the particular FL and to FL in general. The students learn very little of the actual FL.

I think it’s mainly a marketing thing and the resources could be better spent elsewhere. YMMV

Since most students will take a foreign language in MS and HS, I don't view it as just a "marketing thing." If schools are trying to tell parents their kids are going to gain fluency of any kind in a once a week special, that's obviously BS. But as a way to ensure your kid isn't showing up to their Spanish 1 class in 6th grade with zero exposure to a foreign language, it's a good deal.

I took Spanish in MS and HS, took the AP exam, and went on to study it in college. I didn't have any exposure before 6th and I think it would have been useful. You learn basic vocabulary and grammar, and younger kids generally have a better ear for accents and mimicry than older students, which means it's a good time to learn things like how to roll your 'r's or to distinguish between the different vowel sounds in another language, which are things that really trip up older learners.

Obviously it shouldn't take the place of foundational skills like math or reading, but yes there is value in getting essentially a taste of a foreign language in elementary. This is how English-language learning starts in most foreign countries as well -- they aren't doing full English immersion in France for 1st graders. It's an occasional class learning basic vocabulary and how to introduce yourself or say what you like, maybe a few songs. Most French students do not get more serious English language instruction until 11 or 12 when they enters their version of middle school. This is a widely accepted way for students to begin learning a second language, including in countries were additional language skills are highly valued.

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is at Garrison and they made the decision to drop Spanish as a special in favor of adding a science teacher.

How does that work exactly? Do they teach all of the DCPS science curriculum in 1 hour per week or is it a supplement to science taught by the students' regular teacher?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The spanish as a special is just fluff. After a few years your kid may know how to count, their colors, a few basic phrases, a few songs.

Don’t expect much else. It’s not like they are going to be able to actually have a conversation or read spanish.

If you really want language proficiency, the only route is immersion charter to DCI for public. If you want fluency, same route and supplement with summer immersion experiences.

Language exposure is still valuable. Not everyone is looking for immersion.

Payne has Spanish as a special

Lafayette has Spanish as a special and it was awful. It was basically the same curriculum every year, which was age inappropriate in kindergarten (many don't know how to read and write in English, so trying to teach a second language through reading and writing is not effective) and boring by 5th grade.

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is at Garrison and they made the decision to drop Spanish as a special in favor of adding a science teacher.

A better use of limited resources.

Our DC is at Garrison and they made the decision to drop Spanish as a special in favor of adding a science teacher.