Board hears plan for interim German instruction as district searches for teacher

The Stoughton Area School District presented a temporary plan to maintain German language instruction amid a teacher shortage while a curriculum committee develops longer-term recommendations.

Kate, a district world-language lead, told the board that a German teacher resigned in April and that recruitment has yielded no applicants for next year. Kate said only a very small number of certified German teachers completed training statewide last year, leaving a shallow candidate pool.

To provide stable, developmentally appropriate instruction for 2026–27, Kate proposed that incoming seventh-graders be transitioned to in-person Spanish or another elective, while continuing German for grades 8–12 via a live asynchronous virtual partner (the presentation used Edgenuity as an example). The district would offer supervised, in‑school time for students taking the self‑paced virtual option and would work individually with the smaller number of upper‑level German students (German 3–4) to explore options including potential college-credit pathways.

Kate estimated about 90 students could be affected (roughly one-third entering seventh grade and the remainder continuing German). Board members asked for enrollment longevity data and for the curriculum committee to consider whether self‑paced virtual options could broaden language choices beyond Spanish. The board asked staff to convene the committee over the summer and return with a comprehensive recommendation by December 2026.

Board members emphasized the value of offering four years of language study for college readiness and asked staff to examine partnerships with nearby districts or creative in-person arrangements while the district pursues long-term solutions.

Next steps: the board asked Kate to provide data on student persistence in world-language courses over the last several years and directed formation of the curriculum committee, which will report back in the fall.