Parents, teachers and students urge school board to keep elementary language classes and guaranteed field experiences

At a Feb. 27 public hearing before a school board budget work session, teachers, students, parents and community partners asked the Albemarle County School Board to reverse proposed cuts that would eliminate the district’s Foreign Language in Elementary Schools program and scale back plans to expand guaranteed field experiences.

Teacher Kate Gary told the board she and Broadus Wood instructional staff “wrote this letter to urge you to reconsider the decision to eliminate the FLES program.” Gary said Senorita Schott’s Spanish instruction had helped students “blossom” academically and socially and credited the program with contributing to the school’s recognition by the Virginia Board of Education.

Several speakers cited research and classroom experience. Mark Sikoli, a University of Virginia linguistics professor, said studies show early second-language learning supports cognitive development and later academic gains. Parent Laurel Williamson said the program reaches about 1,400 county students and described how her children quickly picked up Spanish vocabulary and cultural awareness. Multiple students from Broadus Wood described practical benefits — being able to speak with new classmates and singing songs learned in class.

Community partners warned of equity impacts if guaranteed field experiences (GFEs) funding is cut. Wild Rock executive director Meg Phillips said a proposed reduction would not end field trips but would reduce equitable access by eliminating planned expansion to higher grade levels. Rivanna Conservation Alliance’s Lisa Wittenborn said the sixth-grade watershed trips directly reinforce Virginia Standards of Learning and help close the achievement gap.

Speakers representing Family Council and school-parent groups urged the board to prioritize investments in educators and classroom supports, and asked the board to consider expanding the FLES program rather than eliminating it. Several speakers noted FLES was initially a legacy program started before current strategic planning and logic-model reporting, and asked for data on intensity of instruction and downstream effects before cuts were finalized.

The public comment period closed before the board’s budget discussion. Board staff later clarified in the meeting that the draft funding request maintains current elementary-level GFEs but would not fund a proposed expansion to higher grades; the proposed GFEs reduction preserves existing experiences for elementary students but reduces planned growth.