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WC School Board debates future of French offerings
By Anne Blankenship — Daily Freeman Journal Staff Writer
POSTED: April 15, 2008
Parlez-vous Francais? That translates to "Do you speak French?" and a group of parents and students were wondering if Webster City High School would continue to teach students how to speak French. They gathered to hear the school board discuss the future of the French program Monday night at the regular board session.
High School Principal Larry Hunt brought the matter to the board to discuss how the district should handle the dwindling number of students choosing to take the classes. The high school currently offers both French and Spanish, but the number of students in the Spanish classes has continued to grow in recent years, he said.
The number of students taking French has continued to fall off, down from 63 in French 1 in 2004, to just 16 registered for French 1 next fall. Hunt said that the number signed up for next year may actually go down due to scheduling conflicts.
"With just one section of the class offered, it often conflicts with other courses the students wish to take," he explained.
"Given the numbers, I don't know if its an option to continue on the way we are. The drop rate is increasing. Or we need to look at teaching the course in a different way, such as online, or an early bird offering," he said.
Superintendent Mike Sherwood said that if the courses were discontinued, they could continue to be in the course offering if future years bring more interest. He added that those in the French program now, would be allowed to take the upper level classes.
Several parents in the audience pointed to a group of seventh grade students who have been studying French for several years in a program at St. Thomas School. Currently, there are eight students who would be eligible to take French II in two years at the high school.
Erin Tasler said she hopes to teach two more classes of French at St. Thomas next year. She urged the school district to try to promote the program a little more and encourage other students to take the French.
Hunt said he was not picking on French, that other low-enrollment courses would also be scrutinized.
Sherwood added that there have been instances where a low-enrollment program has turned around to be vital again. He pointed to the once struggling Ag program that is now thriving.
When asked why the program turned around, Sherwood admitted that interested parents had attended a meeting and got behind the program to offer support.
Board chairman Craig Loffredo suggested that the district leave the program in place for next year, but take a look at the criteria for determining the number of students needed to make a class viable.
Audience member and parent Josi Greenley suggested that the district might be embarking on a "slippery slope" if they try to set a minimum class size. She cited a music course that her son had taken that had only three students.
Hunt said that was a different situation in that the music course was not offered every semester.
"I think we need to look at encouraging continued participation in the French program. We are so intertwined with France and the French in many ways. It's not fair to say we don't use anything but Spanish after high school," Greenley said, adding that many European and African countries speak French, not Spanish. Greenley's mother, Elda Hopkins taught French at Webster City High School for many years. Mel Cramer currently teaches both the French and Spanish classes.
"I think kids think Spanish is easier than French," she said. "They see it on Sesame Street and on Dora the Explorer, but the vowel sounds are difficult. The dropout rate after first year is kind of high, I think."
For next year, at least, the French program will continue, and the board will take a look at what kind of a threshold is needed to offer small section classes.
In other business, the board:
• approved the contract with the Webster City Educational Services Association that included an overall 5.76 percent salary package hike.
• received the annual audit report for the district for review. The matter will be discussed at the April 28 board meeting.
• accepted the early retirement application of Barb Irving, high school special education instruction.
• accepted resignations from Irving, Kristen McKey, Spanish, and Shelly Anton, special Ed at the alternative school.
• offered contracts to Katherine Houck for the high school/elementary media specialist position, and Ashley Beck, elementary special Ed position.
High School Principal Larry Hunt brought the matter to the board to discuss how the district should handle the dwindling number of students choosing to take the classes. The high school currently offers both French and Spanish, but the number of students in the Spanish classes has continued to grow in recent years, he said.
The number of students taking French has continued to fall off, down from 63 in French 1 in 2004, to just 16 registered for French 1 next fall. Hunt said that the number signed up for next year may actually go down due to scheduling conflicts.
"With just one section of the class offered, it often conflicts with other courses the students wish to take," he explained.
"Given the numbers, I don't know if its an option to continue on the way we are. The drop rate is increasing. Or we need to look at teaching the course in a different way, such as online, or an early bird offering," he said.
Superintendent Mike Sherwood said that if the courses were discontinued, they could continue to be in the course offering if future years bring more interest. He added that those in the French program now, would be allowed to take the upper level classes.
Several parents in the audience pointed to a group of seventh grade students who have been studying French for several years in a program at St. Thomas School. Currently, there are eight students who would be eligible to take French II in two years at the high school.
Erin Tasler said she hopes to teach two more classes of French at St. Thomas next year. She urged the school district to try to promote the program a little more and encourage other students to take the French.
Hunt said he was not picking on French, that other low-enrollment courses would also be scrutinized.
Sherwood added that there have been instances where a low-enrollment program has turned around to be vital again. He pointed to the once struggling Ag program that is now thriving.
When asked why the program turned around, Sherwood admitted that interested parents had attended a meeting and got behind the program to offer support.
Board chairman Craig Loffredo suggested that the district leave the program in place for next year, but take a look at the criteria for determining the number of students needed to make a class viable.
Audience member and parent Josi Greenley suggested that the district might be embarking on a "slippery slope" if they try to set a minimum class size. She cited a music course that her son had taken that had only three students.
Hunt said that was a different situation in that the music course was not offered every semester.
"I think we need to look at encouraging continued participation in the French program. We are so intertwined with France and the French in many ways. It's not fair to say we don't use anything but Spanish after high school," Greenley said, adding that many European and African countries speak French, not Spanish. Greenley's mother, Elda Hopkins taught French at Webster City High School for many years. Mel Cramer currently teaches both the French and Spanish classes.
"I think kids think Spanish is easier than French," she said. "They see it on Sesame Street and on Dora the Explorer, but the vowel sounds are difficult. The dropout rate after first year is kind of high, I think."
For next year, at least, the French program will continue, and the board will take a look at what kind of a threshold is needed to offer small section classes.
In other business, the board:
• approved the contract with the Webster City Educational Services Association that included an overall 5.76 percent salary package hike.
• received the annual audit report for the district for review. The matter will be discussed at the April 28 board meeting.
• accepted the early retirement application of Barb Irving, high school special education instruction.
• accepted resignations from Irving, Kristen McKey, Spanish, and Shelly Anton, special Ed at the alternative school.
• offered contracts to Katherine Houck for the high school/elementary media specialist position, and Ashley Beck, elementary special Ed position.
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