Parents push for foreign language in elementary schools

Written by Jake Kara
Monday, 17 January 2011 15:00

School officials tout the district as a deciding factor for home buyers, but for some parents who "shopped around," the district might fall short of expectations.

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For Karen Christiansen, a Darien mother leading the charge to get foreign language incorporated into the elementary curriculum for four years, being bilingual is a must in today's global economy.

"I've had every job I've had because I speak Italian," Christiansen, who taught at an international school in Italy and worked as director of international divisions for Tommy Hilfiger, Liz Claiborne and Donna Karan, said.

She taught first grade at an international school in Italy, where she said on average her students spoke three languages.

When she moved to Darien four years ago, her kids were in pre-school and she was surprised to find Holmes School, where her daughter was soon to enroll, didn't have a foreign language program.

She and a few other Darien parents set to work, talking to officials and other parents trying to get a program added three years ago.

When elementary foreign language education came up at a school board meeting and one board member questioned whether there was enough support for such a program in town, Christiansen said she knew otherwise.

"I know from working in town for years on this that there is a strong interest," she said.

She helped to start a petition and within two weeks had about 35 volunteers mobilized, collecting more than 1,700 signatures in favor a foreign language program.

"Everywhere I was, the clipboard was," she said. "I loved that document," she said of the battle-torn, rain-smudged pages she carried around collecting signatures. The group collected 1,700 names. "I felt the board got the message at that point."

Most people Christiansen met assumed Darien had foreign language, she said.

Of the 500 or so names Christiansen collected, she said she only a handful of parents gave reasons against signing the petition.

"A couple said it was the budget," she said. Others said they were already working on foreign language studies with their kids outside of school — like Christiansen. Her husband and children speak fluent Danish and she practices Italian with them.

The elementary schools started hosting a foreign language program before and after school, but it's paid for by participants, $180 per semester and not a school program.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephen Falcone, whose children go to school in New Canaan, which has elementary foreign language education, has been receptive, Christiansen said. In November, he presented a plan to the Board of Education to change elementary schedules to a six-day rotation. He even included it in his first budget proposal, presented Tuesday.

Whether the program, which calls for five new teachers at $306,645 will survive this budget season is yet to be seen, but Christiansen hopes it does because, she said with a laugh, "I can't do this another year."

More info: DarienLanguage.Wordpress.com

jkara@darientimes.com