With a proposed schedule change for Cider Mill School in the 2024-25 school year, some parents and staff members are not happy to see World Language (WL) instructional time being cut at Wilton’s grade 3-5 school, nor are they pleased with changes in how the program is planned to be taught.
They’re also concerned that the proposed changes have not been properly vetted, nor that teachers are in agreement that this is the best road to take.
The changes were first introduced at the Feb. 29 Board of Education meeting as part of an effort to improve the overall Cider Mill schedule. Administrators presented a plan they said would reduce stress for students and increase instructional time in key math and language arts curriculum areas.
But the changes also cut the time devoted to World Language — French and Spanish — in half, and took its instruction out of designated WL classrooms, putting it on a portable cart instead.
Rather than experiencing a 40-minute period every other day of general instruction in a new language, students will have language teachers visit their classrooms during part of the social studies or science period and, according to administrators, learn WL material that relates to those content areas being taught.
The program currently sees an average of 100 minutes a week on the rotating schedule.
This past Tuesday, after heeding some of the concerns expressed, CM administrators gave a presentation to parents that included an expansion of the proposed WL schedule, upping it to three times a week for a total of 90 minutes, as opposed to the 75 minutes they presented to the BOE in February.
Despite restoring some of the time devoted to WL, some concerns still remain surrounding putting the program on a cart that visits classrooms versus giving it a dedicated space, as well as embedding the bulk of WL instruction into specific science- and social studies-related content.
“The good news is that getting our community to be vocal has had some impact,” parent Michelle Martinez told GOOD Morning Wilton. “I still think it’s a way’s away from where we need to be, but it’s encouraging to see.”
The original schedule proposal was presented by CM Principal Jennifer Falcone and Assistant Principal Dave Dudics, to the BOE on Feb. 29, with a supportive description of the changes from Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Chuck Smith.
The overall goal of the plan, they explained, is to limit transitions between rooms, allowing for an increase in time of various subject areas. Critics, however, said that the transition of WL teachers entering classrooms at random times during instruction will, in itself, amount to a time-wasting disruption.
Smith explained that the WL program in general is transitioning to a content-based language program, which he said is more effective, with thematic units developed by the teachers in tandem with the science and social studies units.
“There are a lot of half-truths and omissions in what Chuck said … and what the administration at Cider Mill is saying,” noted one parent.
Editor’s note: GOOD Morning Wilton spoke with multiple parents and teachers who expressed their discontentment but were concerned about backlash or had other reasons for not using their names.
“They are taking away the classrooms from the language teachers and they are saying this is not going to affect cultural events … There’s a huge loss just not having a classroom and a space,” she said.
She and others have questioned any comparisons to towns like New Canaan, which offer curriculum-based programs, but begin them in kindergarten, at which times the content is much simpler, allowing WL teachers to build a foundation of basics for students.
“The language that (they’re) going to be teaching is vocabulary, related to social studies and science,” she said. “It’s going to be how to say ‘rock’ … It’s not going to be conversation. It’s not going to be useful.”
Further, this parent said that that lack of foundation will ultimately adversely affect WL instruction in middle and high school, also setting aside the argument that study of WL simply increases a student’s ability to excel in other subject areas.
“I realize that part of this is test-driven,” she said, with concerns over math testing scores part of the motivation to extend math instructional time over WL.
“Our school district is very, very driven by math scores … They have decided that more minutes is the way,” she said.
“Eighty minutes of math?” one parent said. “Are you kidding? Not only that, but you’re not allowing them to transition,” she said, arguing that people of all ages — but especially young people — need to get up and have a change of scenery, rather than just a movement break in the same location.
While Falcone didn’t want to comment directly on concerns expressed by parents, she referred inquiries to a “schedule proposal Q&A” document dated March 11, which offers details on the proposed changes. GMW has shared the document at the end of the article.
“As educators, we have noticed a shift in students’ emotional well-being and behaviors,” the document states. “We know one way to address the social-emotional needs of our current student population is to slow the pace of our school day by minimizing transitions and simplifying the daily schedule.”
It states that the new schedule allows opportunities for students who could previously not take WL due to intervention or special services to do so.
“We feel access and equity is critical,” it says. “Budget pending, we hope to enhance our special area rotation by adding a combination of additional PE/Health/SEL [social-emotional learning] and STEM experiences.”
The document states that feedback from students, parents and teachers has included requests for longer lunch and recess periods, which are part of the new schedule, as well as additional SEL support and STEM opportunities.
“My overall sentiment is (that) I’m disappointed,” said one CM mother, whose daughter has found WL to be the most exciting part of her school day.
“It is by far her favorite thing about Cider Mill — the teacher, the language, the cultural elements of it, really everything,” she said. “She doesn’t talk too much about school, but she talks about Spanish and just has this new-found confidence.”
She said the concept of combining WL with two other disciplines did not seem to favor students with particular interests in any of the three.
“I think it just takes away from the part she really loves, which is learning about age-appropriate stuff — her family, the weather … She won’t be as excited,” she said.
Martinez made light of the absurdity of trying to teach about biomimicry in French as one example.
“She’s struggling with (learning) electricity in English,” she said of her daughter. “How do you think she’s going to understand it in French?”
“The French teacher can no longer teach you the fundamentals of language … the things that are actually valuable to somebody,” she said.
“Every language teacher will tell you vocabulary is secondary,” said Martinez, whose mother teaches World Language in another state. “The first part is how do you construct a sentence.”
Some parents expressed a degree of confusion on whether the change was already in stone, or if this was just a proposal.
“There’s been so much differing information coming out,” one said, noting that communication through the school has disappointed some people.
“The sentiment is, I think, from teachers, that they’re also not thrilled with the decision,” she said.
According to the proposal Q&A, “There is some concern around how the World Language integration will take place, but we will be providing training and visits to other districts to observe how they conduct this model of World Language.”
“Similarly, they have concerns about how this integration and change will take place, which is why we are providing additional training and collaboration with a local district (New Canaan) who implements [sic] a similar model.
“They also expressed concerns about 15 minutes being too short of time, which is why the new iteration provides 90 minutes (three 30-minute sessions) of World Language (per) week,” it states.
Some parents weren’t ready to accept the argument.
“The Board of Education didn’t represent the World Language change as a better curriculum,” one parent noted. “Instead, it is simply a sacrifice to other competing priorities … If we accept that the World Language has to be sacrificed, I doubt if the sacrifice will result in desired improvements in the other (areas).”
They noted that boredom was already a constant in math class for some students and that increasing the time to up to 80 minutes straight could force kids to hate school. “Once they hate school and stop learning, (that) can negatively impact the school’s academic performance and teachers will have more behavior problems to handle,” they said.
No BOE member commented on the information last month, with Chair Ruth DeLuca noting it was “a lot to digest and take in.”
According to the CM schedule Q&A document, the administration is open to additional feedback leading up to its next BOE update scheduled for Thursday, March 21, after which the schedule will be voted on by the board pending budget approval.
“Language brings us together,” another CM parent said. “To ask the World Language teachers to push into classrooms and shorten their instructional time is not conducive to students’ learning.”
“If any change should be made, it should be done to incorporate more language into the curriculum, like a dual language program or starting at kindergarten, not less,” they said.
“World language is one of the most important classes in the education system,” they said.
As a mother with 3 kids who have benefited from the world language program in the Wilton school system, it is very confusing to me how the proposed curriculum changes to Cider Mill can possibly be approved. I watched my oldest daughter thrive in the French program from grade school all the way to AP French, joining the French Honor Society and earning her Seal of Bilateracy. One of her favorite teachers was her French teacher.
I listened to my son communicate in Spanish when we traveled to Puerto Rico and Spain, using the skills he learned in the world language program.
My third child has thrived in the French world language program at CM. Her French teacher is one of her favorite teachers and she comes home so excited to tell me what she’s learned and experienced. We went to France last summer and she was able to order crêpes and ice cream in French. This is all because of the strength of the world language program and its instructors at CM.
I myself went through a French immersion program from 1st to 12th grade where half the courses were taught in French. I know only too well how important the actual time spent learning about culture and history, as well as vocabulary, is to the success in learning that language.
While I fully appreciate the importance of math, and support the increase in time for lunch and recess, I cannot understand why they would choose to strip away critical time from world language while at the same time increasing the time allocated to gym class by a full hour a week. This makes zero sense, especially given all the reasons they have supplied as to why they’re making this change. Students will still have to switch classes to get to art, music, instruments, library, and gym. And yet those programs have not been reduced to learning from a cart. When I told my biliterate college student about this change, her reply was “That’s crazy! You can’t learn like that!” And not to put down gym class, but what kind of life skills are being taught there that will benefit the students in high school and beyond, such that an extra hour a week is required? Are these skills more beneficial than learning a world language? And don’t forget that a significant number of students already have sports activities outside of school.
You cannot learn a language by simply repeating vocabulary words. That provides no real world context. You cannot use science and social study terminology to get by when trying to order food at a French restaurant, or asking for directions in a Spanish-speaking country.
My youngest will move on to the middle school next year. So none of these curriculum changes at CM will impact our family directly. But I feel so strongly about the importance of learning world languages, and have witnessed the benefits it brings, that I am saddened for the young kids that this is impacting.
I truly hope they rethink their proposal. Only someone who has not learned a second language would think this is a good workable idea. It is not.