What follows is an excerpt from the essay "Challenges Faced by School Administrators: A Superintendent's Perspective," by Randy Dewar who is Superintendent of Putnam City Schools, Oklahoma City, OK. The essay appears in Chapter 10, "On Implementing an Elementary School Language Program: Reflections and Considerations," of Critical Issues in Early Second Language Learning.

Funding

Proper funding of a foreign language program is a recurrent theme. Each year such funding is under attack. As a budding elementary program grows from one grade level to two, then three, and on up, the number of staff members grows. The cost escalates each year until the program has been fully implemented. The competition for the limited school funds seems to grow as well, and accepting less than the ideal may sometimes be necessary. Compromise is never popular, but if a program is good for children, it is worthy of our best efforts to meet the challenges.

Maintaining a Program

It should not be assumed that the initial support for an elementary school foreign language program will automatically continue without some type of renewal effort. It is important to continue to sell the program by keeping it visible at PTA events and school board meetings. Newspaper articles which promote the very special advantage that the program provides to students in the district are effective not only with parents, but also with everyone interested in maintaining the value of their property. In all forums, emphasizing the positive impact of the foreign language program on other areas of the curriculum, especially language arts, strengthens its position as an integral component of an elementary school curriculum.

Characteristics of Effective Programs

• District administration must be aware of the basic elements of the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the program and in possession of a rationale for all decisions that need to be made.

• The program must have specific goals, which are clearly stated, measurable, and realistic, and it should be easy to relate efforts, staffing, and funding to those goals.

• There should be a multi-year plan for program development, expansion, and evaluation.

• Teachers must be qualified for the age group and the language they teach. They should be able to sustain their energy and enthusiasm with children and establish good rapport with parents and school personnel.

• Visitors to the class should be welcome and should be witness to the active participation of all students.

• Classes should be fast-paced, conducted primarily in the second language, demonstrating a variety of instructional techniques.

• Assessment must be authentic, ongoing, and related to the techniques and the content of instruction.

• Parents should receive a clear reporting of the content of the program and of their child's participation and progress.

Summary

There is a sound rationale for starting an elementary foreign language program. It is as basic as the neurological development of children and as complex as language and linguistics. It is as contemporary as the shrinking world. It is as appropriate as any effort to shrug the "Ugly American" image and to reach out to people of the world through education. It is good for children.