White House Appeal
Prison Population
Switched Baby
Cable Car Case
Crime Data
Diana Bodyguard

Funding will keep Spanish

$50,000 gift to maintain foreign language instruction in elementary classrooms at least one more year

Web posted May 2, 1998

By Emily Sollie
Columbia County Bureau

Speaking in rapid-fire Spanish, Teresa Ennis directs her kindergarten class at Stevens Creek Elementary School to welcome the group of visitors who have invaded the classroom.

``Buenos dias, bienvenidos a nuestra clase,'' the children shout in unison -- ``Good morning, welcome to our class.''

The class is part of a pilot program at Stevens Creek and South Columbia Elementary schools to introduce foreign language instruction in the early grades.

After additional funding to expand the program was sliced from the state budget this year, school officials feared it might have to be discontinued.

But thanks to a $50,000 gift from the state Department of Education, pupils at these two schools will be rolling their R's for at least another year.

Research has shown that young children learn language skills more readily than older students, and that the ability to learn to speak a second language fluently declines with age.

Currently, kindergartners and first-graders get 30 minutes of Spanish instruction daily, with Ms. Ennis going to each class, said Stevens Creek principal Barry O'Neill.

The state Legislature voted to continue funding the program at the same level -- one teacher per school -- next year, which would have made it impossible to add Spanish instruction to the higher grades.

``The model program,'' Dr. O'Neill explained, ``is to get additional funding every year to move it up a grade at a time.'' That way the children who had Spanish in kindergarten and first grade can continue learning throughout elementary school.

State superintendent Linda Schrenko gave Dr. O'Neill and South Columbia principal Donna Murray letters of intent Friday for $25,000 per school from the Department of Education to hire an additional Spanish teacher next year.

The new teachers will instruct second-graders and provide enrichment activities for third- through fifth-graders.

``Just as we're committed to technology to help our children compete in the future, we've got to make sure they're ready for a global economy,'' said Rep. Ben Harbin of Evans, who was at the presentation. ``Hopefully next year we can get this back in the budget. Our children will show us the benefits.''