California’s AB2446, the bill that would effectively eliminate California’s arts and foreign language high school graduation requirement, remains on the Governor’s desk. But we’re continuing our investigation into its potentially disastrous effect.
Currently, nearly 50% of California high school students take a foreign language. That’s nearly a million students–and a 10% increase in just the last seven years. These students are taking world-expanding courses in French, German, Latin, Spanish, and even Japanese. And for good reason. Studies show that foreign language-taking improves students’ cognitive skills and performance across the subject areas. It even boosts their SAT scores. Not to mention that foreign language is an admissions requirement for any University of California or California State University school. In this age of concern for “college and career readiness” does it make sense for California to drop a key requirement that prepares students for college?
Stephanie Porowski and Skye Frontier
How is ab 2446 going to ELIMINATE UC/CSU required classes? You are unbelievable in your wild claims that have no basis in truth.
This is a TURF WAR. Art and Language teachers have classroom filled with kids who don’t want to be there, who are just going through the motions. The teachers are afraid if given the choice, A LOT of students will opt out. Why deny them access to a rigorous curriculum that they are interested in, one that might just be the thing to keep them in school, rather than dropping out? You need to remember we are here for the kids, not the other way around. California is moving in the direction of Career Technical Education. I would recommend we spend time and effort figuring out how YOU can fit into this paradigm instead of focusing on defeating legislation in order to limit student’s access to a valid curriculum.