And after rethinking some of this... I would like someone to find another way to fund these, as opposed to a limited grant. It WILL run out of funded monies, and we taxpayers will have to pick it up or they will close. That said, I have absolutely NO problem with bilingual education. We were required to take foreign language classes back in the 60's - 70's. Offered languages were German, French and Spanish. This is really no different. Most of my classmates, (me included) chose Spanish as it is the EASIEST to learn. Honestly, I feel sorry for the Spanish speaking Americans that have to learn OUR language. If one thinks about it, many many of our words make NO logical sense and do not follow any grammatical rules.

frusion-A bilingual charter would be great because it gives children an immersion setting where kids from Janesville get to learn Spanish with native speakers. The curriculum is the same state mandated curriculum. Why Spanish? Spanish is an easy language to learn and we already have the native speaker children here as a resource. This is sooo valuable because instead of thinking that non-English speakers have nothing to offer and are only here to take resources, they are valued as having something great to offer as well. This is a win-win for Janesville!!

Egalindo, please help me understand why this is a good idea. I want to be open to change and new ideas but we are an English speaking country correct? Are we propagating a crutch to actually teach in Spanish vs teach how to conduct life in the US as an English speaking citizen? And if we were to have a bilingual curriculum, why Spanish? Many US citizens have roots in Italy, Germany, or Norway. Why have we abandoned these languages?

I think a bilingual charter school would be great!

Please try and remember that the focus is the "whole child". I am heavily involved with one of these schools and wrote letters of support of the grants. I ask anyone of you to spend a day or even an hour in one of these schools. You will see that this is very much a positive thing for the schools, the district (as it would save a ton of money on resources, books, computers, and training), but most importantly, it will be a positve outcome for our children!

Here's an idea, don't spend the money on "professional development" and give it back to the state, or should I say the tax payers. Just because there is money to spend why must it be spent? Put it towards the defecit. Like I said I would gladly give to a fund to save the great teachers and staff in the JSD but I have a hard time bringing myself to do it after an article like this.

maggie - I understand your point, and it doesn't seem right; however, most money for professional development can't be spent on salaries, so blame will have to placed on the rule book, or whoever wrote it.

Maybe that grant money should go towards the cuts they're going to make instead of enabling those who can't and refuse to speak English!! Slam me, go ahead. I'm not a bigot, but I am American. If you're going to live here, speak the language or go back. If they really want a bilingual school, let them pay for it with their own money, not ours. We're taking a big enough hit already. I can't believe this is even open for discussion. What is she thinking?

Great, more scum bag factories....

frusion, EXACTLY! Why can't the district make do with what they DO have? They want more grants? And when the grant money has expired, who picks up THAT tab? We do! With all the wasted spending in the Janesville school district, it is high time to cut the pork. Our children will be fine... our taxes support great teachers, but the district MUST get some control on the WAY they do business. RUN it like a well oiled machine and take care of what is important. Education!

Schulte probably got brain-washed in to thinking this is a good idea at one of their junkets. While any other company is cutting back and looking for ways to save money, JSD is looking for ways to expand and move yet further away from the basics of education. But oh wait,federal grant money grows on trees! Let's spend it!!!

How sick that our district is having to look at such ridiculous ideas. Stomach turning.

"The method moves away from traditional subject-based teaching. Instead, students learn English, math, social studies and science by researching and preparing reports on topics that interest them."
Can't wait to see 1st graders doing research and reports. Should work out awesome.

"Superintendent Karen Schulte said the charter schools would not require new buildings or staff", "It would be an English-Spanish bilingual school. Bilingual schools typically have classes taught in both languages."
I guess all of these teachers at Jackson are fluent in multiple languages. Give me a break.

Awesome lets enable these kids to not learn English. I thought it was bad when the DOT started changing road signs to pictures instead of words for non english speaking people. This is getting rediculous.

I also don't understand why our school district continues to send people to "work shops". There was recently a work shop where many staff members were sent to New Orleans for a bilingual work shop. That kind of spending has to end. I am sure that training in New Orleans was not cheap! I want to save staff jobs and would donate money to a fund, but I am not okay having that money spent on trips or on the staff that really don't deserved to be saved. I can think of many staff members that don't deserve their jobs. That saddens me beacause there are a lot of good staff members in the dstrict and their images are ruined by the worthless ones.

Yea, let's put all sorts of new things into the mix and throw out the old--teachers, librarians, counselors, learning support--make perfect sense!

We can't afford to keep our schools funded now and they are now proposing bilingual schools? I don't understand the thinking behind this. Even if it is funded by a grant, we the tax payers are untimately still paying for it.