Parents and teachers urge CUSD to restore part‑time ELD teacher at Jacobson Elementary

At the July 9 Chandler Unified School District governing board meeting, more than a dozen parents, current and retired teachers and the district educators union urged the board and district leadership to reverse the recent elimination of a part‑time English Language Development (ELD) teacher position at Jacobson Elementary.

Speakers described Jacobson as a long‑running, concentrated ELD program that enrolls children who often arrive speaking little or no English. Retired teacher Kimberly Christ said the program’s strong reclassification rates are precisely why it should not be cut. “How can you eliminate a program just because we got good at instructing our students into English proficiency and testing out of ELD?” she said.

Several speakers said Jacobson’s student population differs from many schools. Allison Amparano, a Jacobson parent and a fifth‑grade teacher…