Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA
CISD to keep dual language program
How we got here
Information in the agenda packet states enroll- ment in the dual language program has continued to decline beginning in the third grade. In addition to enrollment, there has been difficulty in recruit- ing teachers, not enough planning time for the existing teachers in the program and a need for better development of the required curriculum, Deputy Superintendent Bethany Medford said. Medford said the district has nine openings for bilingual teachers, which serve in several district programs. The district has filled some needs by using teachers who are not certified as bilingual but have emergency permits. It also has some monolingual teachers with exemptions, but loses $200,000 in state funding annually by using monolingual teachers in the bilingual program, she said. Medford said she believes the district needs to be more competitive for bilingual teachers. “We are losing ground quickly on salary, and we are losing ground even more quickly on the stipends attached to the most hard-to-fill positions [such as] special ed [and] bilingual,” Medford said.
the 2016-17 school year and allows English- speaking students and Spanish-speaking students to begin together in kindergarten for immersive language learning. According to information at the Feb. 18 meeting, eliminating the program would have brought about $1.2 million in savings. Officials said the district would also have been able to free up additional bilingual teachers to address the growing need in its student population if it eliminated the program.
Due to a shortage in bilingual teachers and declining program enrollment, Conroe ISD officials had considered ending the district’s dual language program for the 2025-26 school year. However, after hearing almost 85 public comments at the Feb. 18 meeting, Superintendent Curtis Null said he withdrew that recommendation. “It’s a difficult decision anytime that we have to make decisions especially when staffing and money are involved,” Null said. The dual language program first began in
Bilingual needs growing in Conroe ISD Bilingual student population
Bilingual teachers
15,000
1,000
800
10,000
600
400
9 openings for bilingual teachers 31 teachers with emergency bilingual permits 30 monolingual teachers with exemptions Current bilingual teaching staff
5,000
200
0
0
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
What they’re saying
What’s next?
“The ability to master two languages at an early age is an invaluable skill that benefits children socially, academically and professionally,” NIMSI DURON, CONROE ISD PARENT
“It’s not simply about learning Spanish; … it’s about fostering a deep understanding of culture, empathy and cognitive flexibility,” JENA GUERRA, CONROE ISD PARENT
With the dual language program restored for the 2025-26 year, officials said the district must still find a way to address its needs in its bilingual program and to provide for increasing costs. The program is estimated to cost an additional $318,000 in 2026-27. Null said the next steps could include sending surveys to parents to determine what they want future bilingual and dual language programs to look like. He said this could mean consolidating programs or allowing students to move schools to follow the program.
“I get to start with kids who know little to no Spanish or English, and by the end of May their level of language acquisition is astonishing.” BRENDA YANEZ, DUAL LANGUAGE TEACHER, LAMAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
“Of all the places, the bilingual teacher market is the most competitive.” CURTIS NULL, SUPERINTENDENT, CONROE ISD
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