This is a long time overdue.

[RB TexLa]

By SAM HODGES / The Dallas Morning News
[e-mail]

When the next school year begins at Caldwell Elementary, some kindergarteners will no doubt arrive unwillingly, clinging to their parents' knees.

But once in the classroom, they'll be pioneers, as part of the McKinney Independent School District's first dual-language immersion program. Half of their instruction will be in English and half in Spanish, regardless of which subject they're studying or language they speak at home.

The district plans to begin with these tots and over six years – adding a grade a year – make Caldwell Elementary a bilingual school.




http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/041710dnmetmcbilingual.3dee87b.html

[virgogal]

1. Wonderful. The town of Holliston,MA has had French immersion since

the late 70's.

It's the way to go IMHO.

[LWolf]

2. I'm glad to see more dual immersion schools opening.

We had one in my former district in CA.

[mzteris]

3. My son has been in Spanish immersion -

he started in a "dual immersion" program and when we moved (rising 3rd grader) went into a "Spanish only Immersion" program for the lower grades.

I have to say I think the full immersion has worked out better in the long run, IMHO. It's harder to get parents to buy into, but the results are great. It's way less confusing to the kids in the lower grades with fewer "melt downs".

[ehrnst]

4. My son is in a similar program in a public school - and thriving.

Half the day in English, taught by native English speaker, and half the day taught in Spanish, by native Spanish teachers.

There are many same sex parents that adopted from South America, and many more that enrolled their kids because of the acceptance of same sex parents.

Claremont Immersion School in Arlington VA.