Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dual Language Immersion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Advocates ask board to protect Dual Language Immersion; groups praise LEA assurances review
Summary
A former DLI student and state advocates asked the Utah State Board of Education to allow stakeholders to review proposed changes to the Dual Language Immersion program; a representatives of USSA and USBA thanked the board for identifying up to 22 LEA assurances that could be removed from 91.
Madeleine Lee, a graduate of Utah’s Dual Language Immersion program speaking on behalf of Senator Howard Stephenson, asked the Utah State Board of Education to slow proposed changes to the program and allow program leaders, educators and parents to review and provide input before final decisions.
"Utah has the largest, most successful, and lowest-cost dual language immersion program in the nation," Lee said, and added that the annual legislative appropriation for DLI is only about $180 per student. She asked the board to give Senator Stephenson and other DLI advocates an opportunity to understand proposed changes and present findings to an appropriate USBE subcommittee in May.
Lexi Cunningham, speaking online for the Utah School Superintendents Association and the Utah School Boards Association, thanked the board and USBE staff for reviewing LEA assurances and said staff had identified approximately 22 of 91 assurances that could possibly be removed. "We appreciate the work that the USBE staff has done to identify which of the 91 assurances could possibly be removed," Cunningham said, calling the effort a meaningful step to reduce unnecessary reporting burdens on districts.
Both speakers asked for further engagement with affected stakeholders before final decisions. The board did not record a response during public comment; the meeting moved on to the finance committee report.
Why it matters: DLI changes could affect program fidelity and interdistrict resource sharing; removal of LEA assurances may reduce administrative burdens but stakeholders requested clear opportunity to review proposed changes.
Next steps: Lee requested a subcommittee meeting in May for stakeholders to present feedback; the transcript records the request but no scheduling or board direction was recorded during public comment.
