Reply #13: It sounds like the real problem is that parents believe that

[kiva]

the kids don't have a good enough grasp of Spanish to properly understand their social studies lessons, not that they oppose their kids learning Spanish:

While some parents object to the program, they do support teaching the subjects separately.

"We would love to see them fit it in," parent Jean Magnes said of teaching Spanish, but "people are furious" with the current model.

Magnes, who has two daughters in the Waunakee district — one in sixth grade who hasn’t participated in the language program and one in fourth who has — said "there is a tremendous difference in learning from one child to another."

"I’m seeing my (younger) child lose significant education in social studies because of this immersion."

Magnes said because of how the subject has been taught, students aren’t learning Spanish or history.

I teach history, and it irritates me that public schools are always willing to throw history under the bus--you notice that there's no discussion of teaching math or science in Spanish, because god forbid that that kids need to know those subjects! No, let's use history, because it really doesn't matter if they miss the main points, or all of, the lessons. If I was one of those parents, I'd be provoked too...if the children aren't understanding the subject, they will be at a disadvantage later.