Is Robert’s report a sign of the times? –
Hey Ben:
The French program at my school died this year. The teacher has been struggling with it for a couple of years and sees a significant loss of students between second and third year. (She is not a TCI/TPRS teacher.) Unlike Spanish, she does not have enough of a base to sustain that and winds up with a handful of students in French 3 and 4. Last year there were not enough students to have a first-year class, but they offered one for next year. However, the principal said she would guarantee only two years; years three and four would depend entirely on retention rates. When students were informed of this, the 24 students who originally signed up dropped to 9. Beginning French won’t be offered next year, but the continuing students (going into years three and four) will be able to do so. The program is dead.
I am concerned that this is the future of the German program when I leave, and I say that without any ego involved. My district is highly supportive of only Spanish, Heritage Spanish, and Vietnamese.
(By the way we will have to do without Robert’s wisdom for a few months as on Saturday he takes off for Europe with a group of students and basically, as we have come to learn over the years, travels all summer, and that includes the Agen conference!)