ECASD looks at the impact of Longfellow’s dual immersion program, discusses its future
EAU CLAIRE — Shanti Freitas, a parent of a student at Longfellow, said the dual immersion program played a huge part in her family’s return to the Eau Claire Area School District.
While at Monday night’s board meeting, Freitas spoke of how she originally lived in Eau Claire when her daughter was born but moved to the Twin Cities for a more diverse environment for her kid. But when the dual immersion program was approved in the 2017-2018 school year and began to grow, she and her family decided to come back to the community.
As dual immersion has slowly grown to encompass all elementary school grades — including fifth grade next year — the program provides a benefit to students by incorporating English-speaking and Spanish-speaking elements into the classroom.
The class typically aims for a percentage of 50% native Spanish-speaking students and 50% of English-speaking, offering a chance for both to receive education in the same environment as bilingual instructors help students to be bilingual as well.
Another parent also spoke at the meeting, speaking for another parent whose kid benefits from dual immersion.
“I’ve heard there are no real plans to expand the program into middle school,” said Rebecca Denney, reciting the concerns of another parent. “This concerns me because I don’t know if my son’s support provided by this program for English will continue after fifth grade… My husband and I worry about our son’s English skills; it is critical that we hear your support today for expanding it into middle school.”
As the first implementation of this program at Longfellow back in 2018 approaches fifth grade, the question is what plans the ECASD has for a middle school program utilizing dual immersion.
While the program does create a culturally responsive school and helps build on the student’s native languages, Mandy Van Vleet, executive director of Teaching and Learning, said there have been challenges which the district has worked to overcome.
Mainly, this is with retention of qualified instructors, which they have edited their qualifications to find eligible and quality teachers; district level support through COVID; concerns about student grades being low; and budget concerns, as the program has shown to be more expensive than initially projected.
Members on the board still looked at the program with its future in mind.
"I think there was an expectation that in the implementation of the K-5 programs, there would be planning for the next steps and here we are," said board member Stephanie Farrar. "We are late to the party of planning those next steps. This should have been done earlier, I think we all acknowledge that.”
Farrar continued, and said no educator would think that a program is “best practice” if it is something dropped off and left to waste while students continue their venture into middle school.
Although the board was not able to concretely give an answer as to their plans with middle school, the meeting served as a start to improved communication with the parents who have been voicing their concerns with the future of the ECASD’s dual immersion program.
As conversations continue further, the discussion on Monday also was meant to show how the board recognizes the program and holds an interest in its academic results and future.
Also at the meeting, members of the board reviewed a proposal of modifications to the employee handbook.
A lot of the changes to the handbook were made when looking at the language of the handbook, but board member Marquell Johnson brought up pushing the notification of approved leave back from Mar. 1 to Feb. 1 and asked what happens if there is unpredictability and the individual has to take a leave of absence.
