District 109 May Reinstate French

Responding to an outpouring of interest from students, parents and community members, Deerfield Public Schools District 109 will make an effort to restore the study of French for incoming sixth graders at Caruso and Shepard Middle Schools.

After the District announced in April it would suspend French as a foreign language offered for incoming sixth graders and teach only Spanish, more than 30 people came to a Board of Education meeting April 29 to ask for reconsideration. The District plans to conduct a study next year to determine whether to offer French in the future,

Earlier: District 109 Remove French From 6^th Grade Curriculum

The Board responded at its meeting Monday by saying the District is looking for a part time teacher to instruct one class of 25 students at Caruso and another at Shepard, according to information posted on the District website.

Should no teacher be found by July 1, the students selecting French will be placed in Spanish. Though the teacher is a requirement both the District and community members are turning over all stones to find the instructor.

“District 109 is also hoping to coordinate with 113, so that teacher could teach at both districts,” a statement on the District website said. “It would likely be more attractive for candidates to be able to teach more hours.”

Community members who were lobbying the Board to offer French next year while doing the study were pleased with the District’s response, according to Ken Shore, a Shepard and Walden Elementary School parent who helped organize the community group.

“We were thrilled to hear the Board is looking into hiring part time teacher so students can continue the study of French in the sixth grade,” Shore said. “We are pleased with the Board’s response and we are grateful.”

Shore and others who want their children to learn French also plan to give the District a hand any way they can. “We’re reaching out to every French speaking organization we can,” he said talking about how the group will help with the teacher search. “We will exhaust out network.”

Shore indicated there are already two applicants for the position and he knows of another who will apply.

Patch will have an article later this week about other matters discussed at Monday’s meeting.

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