Parents and educators urge Bellevue to expand dual-language offerings and improve placement responsiveness

Two public commenters told the board the district should expand dual-language options and improve placement responsiveness for displaced bilingual students.

Melissa Taylor, a dual-language teacher at Highland, described a Puyallup School District pilot American Sign Language (ASL) dual-language program that began with a mixed composition of deaf/hard-of-hearing and hearing students and reported no attrition from year one to year two. Taylor said the program integrates ASL throughout the day, aims for a 50/50 language allocation by third grade, and that students not previously exposed to sign language achieve substantial expressive gains quickly. "One year from year 1 to year 2, the program had no attrition," Taylor said, arguing Bellevue could implement and possibly improve on such a model given district experience with dual-language programs.

Dr. Miguel Olivares, a parent whose child relocated after storm damage, described a nearly year-long delay as his family sought continuation of Spanish dual-language instruction. He said the family repeatedly emailed and called and was told schools were full; district data later showed available seats at dual-language schools. His child was ultimately offered a seat at Stevenson nearly a year after the family first sought placement. Olivares called the delay "a systemic failure to apply values of equity, responsiveness, and family engagement" and asked the board to review how the student-placement office handled the case.

Board members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to review placement procedures and to consider feasibility of ASL or other dual-language expansions.