Fight on to keep Spanish bilingual programming
South end parents feel input ignored in call by Calgary Board of Education
A group of south end parents will keep fighting for their kids' Spanish bilingual program, saying its removal at Dr. E.P. Scarlett does nothing to address overcapacity issues at the high school.
Officials with the Calgary Board of Education announced changes last week that will see several high schools lose alternative programs like Spanish bilingual, French immersion and fine arts by fall 2022.
After warnings about a growing need to balance crowding in suburban high schools with reduced capacity at inner-city high schools, the CBE conducted a two-year engagement process asking for public input.
But Tabitha Beaton, who has two sons approaching Grades 8 and 10 in Spanish bilingual, says her concerns about losing the program at Scarlett were never heard by the CBE.
“It breaks our hearts, to see how much effort our kids have put into their Spanish education to just have to lose it in this way.
“It's not right, and it seems as though this is the plan for CBE all along — to just eventually get rid of alternative programming after they sold it to parents for so long.”
CBE has decided Spanish bilingual students at both William Aberhart and Scarlett will have to attend Crescent Heights starting in the fall of 2022, the only remaining school that will offer it for high school students.
But with Spanish bilingual students at Scarlett only making up a small cohort of students, less than 100 per grade, removing the program doesn't really address overcapacity issues, parents argued.
Beaton said she, along with a growing group of concerned families in the south, will fight for a reversal of the CBE decision after this fall's municipal election — expected to result in a significantly different school board with the retirement of several trustees.
Parents are also planning a formal complaint to CBE area directors and the chief superintendent, saying their input was completely disregarded throughout the public engagement process.
“We will keep fighting for this. We have a full year before 2022 to make our voices heard,” Beaton said.
Thousands of students in the city's south have thrived in Spanish bilingual programming for years, starting at Eugene Coste and Canyon Meadows Elementary schools, moving to Robert Warren Junior High and then finishing at Scarlett, also located in Canyon Meadows.
Monica Villasenor Fassnidge said her two elementary-aged children enjoy the programming so much the family moved from Auburn Bay into Canyon Meadows to be closer to Scarlett for the high school years.
“But now the kids will miss out on their Spanish education. It's so disheartening, and so disappointing,” she said.
“I was raised with three languages, so I truly understand the benefits of that, it opens up so many doors for the kids' future.”
Villasenor Fassnidge's family is from Chile, and she's thrilled to see her children able to easily converse with them in Spanish.
Meagan and Brian Marriott will also join the fight to keep Spanish at Scarlett, saying their family has also made sacrifices to stay with the program, like rearranging work schedules to drive their two kids, a daughter in Grade 6 and a son in Grade 9.
Like Beaton, the Marriotts said they felt completely ignored during the public engagement process, including a recent virtual open house where they saw their questions deleted from the queue.
“It's almost like this decision was already made, before the engagement even started,” said Brian.
Meagan added removal of the program isn't just an academic loss — it's an emotional and social loss.
Living in Chaparral, and with no Spanish program to attend at Scarlett, the Marriotts' kids will have to either face a lengthy commute to Crescent Heights or attend regular programming at nearby Centennial with a completely new cohort.
“That is devastating for my son. He has built a community of support in Canyon Meadows, with close friends, and really great, healthy relationships with adults too. And now all of that is being taken away.”
CBE officials said all feedback gathered during the high school engagement project was reviewed and considered, although feedback was just one factor in decision-making.
“We also considered CBE values and planning principles, available space and resources, and financial sustainability,” said CBE spokeswoman Megan Geyer.
“It's also important to point out that Spanish bilingual program enrolment represents one per cent of all high school students at the CBE.”
But parents argue that it has specifically been CBE decisions, like the removal of busing for alternative programs, that has resulted in declining enrolment.
Brian Marriott argued that when their kids were just about to start kindergarten, they were convinced by an impressive CBE sales pitch describing how valuable Spanish bilingual education was.
“But now, there's clearly an intention to just end these programs altogether.”
The Marriotts and Beaton added they also tried to directly contact their trustee, Julie Hrdlicka, several times during the engagement but never received a reply.
“We have received no support whatsoever from our trustee, and no reply to our messages,” Beaton said.
Hrdlicka said while she understands the feeling of loss, she has discussed the issue with many members of the community over the past year, including at school council meetings.
“This is a close-knit community that greatly values the Spanish bilingual program and its proximity in the community. I hear parents when they say they are upset,” Hrdlicka said.
“In speaking with parents, we often talk about why these sorts of tough choices are necessary. Difficult decisions must be made to meet our commitment to sustainability when CBE funding doesn't keep pace with growing student enrolment.”