BOE Budget Ends Current Elementary World Language Curriculum

As part of the Board of Education's budget cuts, elementary schools will no longer have World Language teachers or a curriculum, but board members say that will be replaced with a program like Rosetta Stone.

“The World Language program as it is now is ineffective,” said Board Member Scott Kamber. “We decided we could look for a better program and were confident we could wind up with something better than it is now.”

Business Administrator Steven DiGeronimo said the cost savings in losing $268,000 in salaries and benefits of four full-time equivalent positions, but there is not a figure for how much the new language program will cost yet.

In addition, staff will be moved around, so it is not clear yet which teachers will lose their positions, DiGeronimo said.

The inefficiencies in the current program come in how foreign language is taught at the elementary school level – with a teacher coming in only once a week, Kamber said.

With a language, there needs to be some time spent every day on it, he said.

“The kids were not getting to the middle school with knowledge of the languages,” he said. “Our hope is to use a computer program or other supplemental program to give students daily exposure in class.”

Board Member Rona Wenik expressed skepticism that a computer program would be better than a teacher.

“The program may work out great. I hope it does,” said Wenik, who voted for the change by voting for the budget. “But I don’t think anything can replace a teacher in a classroom.”

Superintendent Jim Crisfield said the program would be Rosetta Stone or some similar language development program.

“We feel we can get better at providing World Language more times every day with a this kind of program than with one person meeting with students once a week,” he said. “It can be taught more efficiently each day, even if it’s in shorter sessions.”