Parents push back as Red Clay sheds more light on scope of Spanish immersion phase-out

Erika Gutierrez noticed something.

Tuesday night, looking back at a buzzing cafeteria of families, educators and community members alike from the front row, she saw a blend of English- and Spanish-speaking parents raising their hands to speak. She listened as they spoke for their young kids, calling with passion for the preservation of the same program she came to defend.

Though she knows the loss of Spanish immersion could hit English language learners and their families the hardest, it was a united front.

"We are not powerless," said the community activist and mother of two dual-language students. "If you get one thing across, it's that we want the best for our children."

Red Clay Consolidated School District shared plans last month to "phase-out" Spanish immersion at Marbrook Elementary, sending letters home on Nov. 6. After a heated parent meeting nearly a month later, it would become clear the decision is bigger than one elementary school and impacts several New Castle County families banking on immersive instruction for their kids.

Marbrook will phase-out immersion, while allowing today's opted-in kindergarteners to keep receiving Spanish instruction until they leave the fifth grade. Red Clay's Deputy Superintendent Hugh Broomall said this will continue to be Spanish immersion for those students, though he noted further constraints could arise due to ongoing resource challenges. This consolidates the district's elementary offerings for traditional immersion to William C. Lewis Dual Language Elementary School, in the city of Wilmington.

Change isn't limited to primary school. Skyline Middle School will also begin to phase out its Spanish immersion programming, Broomall confirmed. A.I. duPont High School will continue to offer courses.

"From an administrative perspective, the decision has been made," Broomall said ahead of the meeting. "Anything can always happen, but the resource commitment, the opportunities for students, to really focus those all at Lewis instead of having it spread out, we think is in the best interest of the district and being sound with our money and resources."

Families voiced sharp concerns, bringing over a dozen voices to the mic during public comments and even more during a period for questions. Several told the crowd they wished for more transparency, others for a conversation to save the program, instead of a declaration of dismissal.

As of 2022, Marbrook has a roughly 48% Latino student population and 29% multilingual learners. According to the University of Delaware, the First State's percentage of EL students is growing at a faster pace than in any other state.

Gianna Howard, for one, delivered comments in English and in Spanish. And the current fifth-grader was greeted with cheers.

"I'm able to talk to other Spanish speakers, even though I don't speak Spanish at home," said the Marbrook student, noting that she still doesn't see a middle school option to continue her immersive study next year.

Red Clay called the meeting a first step in answering parent questions, while pushing a Lewis Elementary information night at 6 p.m., Dec. 12. Parents questioned district leaders until just after 7:30 p.m., when speakers cut short a tense discourse filling the cafeteria.

ICYMI: Red Clay signals 'phasing out' of Spanish immersion at one elementary school

Is the fight over for Marbrook? Parents say no

Antonio Amores Ortiz chose Spanish immersion for the advantage.

It was the promise of college credits for his now-fourth-grader when he reaches high school, giving him a step ahead in more ways than just second-language proficiency. He hoped it would also prepare him for a diverse world. For many parents, it all feels threatened in their district.

"I love Marbrook," he said, living nearby the Prices Corner elementary school. "I love the families at Marbrook. My son tells me all the time about the friends, about the teachers, and that's the thing that makes me want to defend this program."

Amores Ortiz has his own experience with immersion, too. The Brandywine School District educator also teaches social studies and language arts in Talley Middle School's Spanish immersion program. He remains confident these programs can work, if they get the right support.

He and other parents spoke up in Tuesday's meeting, saying the fight isn't over. He passed around small flyers about a budding "Immersion Advocacy Group," while fellow advocate Gutierrez called for a protest on Dec. 20 during the next Red Clay board meeting.

"I know what it takes, and I know what is on the table right now," Gutierrez said to the meeting. She insisted dual-language immersion is the future.

"The question is: Is the school gonna side with the parents? Because the parents obviously love this. Everybody wants this program to stay. And we are the most powerful voice to move anything anywhere and make the right decisions."

Education roundup: State backs school funding requests for projects, Red Clay eyes referendum

No budging from Red Clay

District leaders continued to point back to resource challenges.

Immersion classes ideally start with about 50 kindergarteners, as some attrition is inevitable. Numbers drop because students can't enter after first grade, while some enrolled will move or otherwise change course. District leaders said Marbrook classes started back in 2017 in the high 40s, but most have now declined to mid-20s. This also leaves inequities in class sizes compared to traditional learners, leaders said, leading to staff and resource strain across the building.

One teacher told Delaware Online/The News Journal the decision can't be based in emotions.

Erin Fitzpatrick taught in Spanish immersion some four years ago at Marbrook Elementary, working with kindergarteners as they made their learning debuts in 50-50 instruction of Spanish and English. She said she saw the writing on the wall.

"As the kids were getting older, a lot were moving, they were dropping out," said the now-MLL teacher for K-5 at Marbrook. "I think it was kind of clear throughout the building that this is where it was going — but people were just holding on to it."

From consistent staffing headaches, to strained resources and declining enrollment, Fitzpatrick rooted the decision on the bottom line. One current Spanish immersion teacher, declining to speak further due to fear of reprisal, called the decision "heartbreaking" for educators and the students they won't be able to serve.

Parents are left looking for more answers.

The teacher noted anyone passionate about immersion could also consider nearby charter schools, as well as some offerings in Brandywine, if Lewis doesn't feel like the right fit. Many parents, however, dread the question of how to drive an extra 25 minutes each morning or leave their neighborhood school.

"It's a sensitive and disappointing topic, and I understand why people are so upset," Fitzpatrick said. "But I don't want anyone to come across thinking no one cares. It is a definite disappointment. It wasn't taken lightly, and I think it really is the best decision for our school."

Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Parents object as Red Clay outlines true scope of immersion phase-out