VERNON TOWNSHIP — The World Languages Committee at Crawford Central School District is expecting to receive a green light tonight to move forward with a new foreign languages and cultures program that would begin with all elementary school students in the fall of 2009.

The committee, which was formed several years ago, received an informal nod of approval by the school board one week ago.

Assistant Superintendent Charles Heller III has been working closely with the World Language Committee since it was formed, and said he has seen interest in the program grow significantly since 2006.

“There are now 30 members, made up of administration, faculty and community members,” Heller said. “And since the committee was formed, there have been visitations to other schools, conferences and guest speakers that have contributions to the program.”

The committee is proposing a co-teaching model where a World Language teacher would visit elementary school classrooms once each week for 40 minutes. Students’ regularly assigned teacher would assist in the lesson and then reinforce the program of study into other core areas of the curriculum, Heller said.

All of the members of the school board supported the idea behind the program, but there was a bit of apprehension due to its $304,000 price tag. The funds would be used to employ new faculty that would be the equivalent of 3.5 new teachers in German, Spanish and French. Several laptop computers would also be purchased specifically for mobile classrooms.

Heller said they “figured on the high end,” but that they did not include the cost of materials or professional development.

Suzanne Good, the director of elementary curriculum, said the cost for materials should be a nominal investment due to the availability of Internet resources. The district would take advantage of free sources such as downloadable video streaming.

Heller said the goal of the committee was to not just ask the board to approve funding, but to make a commitment to the project for the future.

“The word ‘sustainability’ really bothers me,” said Jan VanTuil. “The worst thing we could do is take this program on for one year and then drop it. The big thing here is that when we make the decision to approve it, it is something that has to be a long-term budget item.”

School board President Ross Prather also had reservations.

“I know I’m going against the grain here, but I’ve thought about my main goals for the district,” Prather said. “I am very excited about this, but I’m not ready to do it this year. I really want to see this go forward, but right now we’ve got too many coins in our pocket.”

VanTuil also expressed her concern about the economy and the unknowns with regards to the amount of future state subsidies the school would receive. She said saying “no” to it this year did not mean that she was saying “no” to it in the future.

“The last thing I want the committee to do is to put even more work into it and then have us put the brakes on it,” VanTuil said.

After an unofficial an non-binding roll count vote, board Vice President Asuman Baskan and members Christine Lazusky, Frank Schreck and Carol E. Jones said they would support the resolution during today’s regular business meeting.

Currently, the proposed plans are to begin teaching students either Spanish or French in kindergarten and alternate the languages and culture lessons each year through grade five. Students in grade six would study German. In each academic year, students would receive a total of 36 lessons.

The goal of the program is not to expect foreign language fluency, but to expose students at a much earlier age, which Heller said has been proven to have a multitude of benefits, including an easier transition into higher levels of learning.

“This is ‘fun-based’ education that engages and motivates students, thereby improving their attendance,” Heller said. “And when kids are engaged and enjoy learning, it leads toward better graduation rates and future student success.”

The community also reaps rewards, Heller said, because it provides employers with a work force that is more skilled because many of the students will go on to complete higher levels of language education.

As many of the area companies move towards a global economy, businesses will not have to look as far for qualified candidates who have advanced communication skills. And Heller said the program itself may help enhance the community economically by encouraging more families to move into the district because it promotes cultural diversity and understanding.

Heller said he is really looking forward to the World Languages program, and following the formal approval by the board, the committee will start working on the curriculum. They will also continue searching for grants which could help reduce the start-up costs.



Penni Schaefer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at pschaefer@meadvilletribune.com.



What to watch for next

Crawford Central School Board of Directors will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at the Instructional Support Center, 11280 Mercer Pike, to discuss and vote on the World Languages Committee’s program to implement foreign languages and cultures into elementary school curriculum beginning in the 2009-10 school year.