Under the old law, parents had to sign a waiver to enroll their children in bilingual programs. Since his overthrow, the number of schools offering dual immersion in the state has continued to increase.

“Data shows that bilingual immersion programs are generally very effective for children,” Gándara said.

“Children become bilingual, which helps them go to college and get better jobs. Children are also less segregated in schools.

There is no evidence that bilingual programs lead to lower test scores, she added. While it is true that students in these programs do not initially perform as well in English as those learning in a single language, the trend reverses around the fifth grade when they begin to outperform the others. , she said.

Why are teachers against it?

In his statement at last week’s board meeting, Gudenius said the teachers union conducted a survey to find out what its members thought about a dual immersion program in Calistoga.

The majority of union members responded to the survey, he said, and none supported it. Nearly 80% were against and the rest were undecided.

Some believe in the merits of dual immersion in general, but don’t think it’s a good solution for Calistoga at this time, he said.

In an email to The Press Democrat, he said: “Over the past two decades, we have systematically made changes and improvements that have begun to show positive outcomes and successes for our students, and we do not want lose. the programs, systems and supports that greatly benefit them.

During the 2023-24 school year, the school district recorded big gains in standardized test scores, both in English and mathematics. Although scores are still below the state average, the district performed better than Napa Valley Unified and is slowly returning to pre-pandemic proficiency levels.

A drastic change, he said, could negatively impact “the things we already do so well” for students.

Potential disadvantages, he explained, include lower test scores, difficulty finding enough Spanish-language teaching materials, staffing difficulties, issues of equity and division within the school and the sustainability of the program.

“If we’re going to do this, we need to approach it with caution, due diligence, and enough time to determine whether it’s feasible before we begin, especially in a small community school like ours, and especially when we’ve tried before. this in the past and it was not successful,” Gudenius said.

How do parents feel?

The decision to explore a possible dual language immersion program in Calistoga schools was driven by parents who strongly believe it will benefit their children and the community.

Last winter, nearly 100 community members, most of whom were parents, signed a petition asking the district to look into the issue.

At last week’s board meeting, 10 parents expressed their views on the topic during public comment, with most in favor of the program. Two parents asked the district to investigate why dual immersion was halted earlier in the Calistoga and St. Helena school districts before moving forward.

Supporters of the project repeatedly emphasized in public comments that it would strengthen Calistoga’s bicultural and bilingual community and equip children with the skills needed for an increasingly interconnected world.

Claire Weinkauf has two children in the school district. Of French descent, she speaks five languages ​​and says she personally sees the benefits of being multilingual.

“My children went to preschool in Spanish,” she said, “but now the school is in English and they are gradually losing their Spanish. It’s disappointing. »

In a community like Calistoga, she added, everyone would benefit if children could speak both languages. “When you speak the same language, you can connect with people. It’s an equalizer,” she said.

For Irene Peña, who also has two children in the school district, it is important that her children continue to value the language of their parents and grandparents.

A Calistoga School District graduate herself, she said there was a version of dual immersion when she was a student and had just moved to the country.

“I spent my first day of school in the bathroom crying,” she said, “but when I heard my white teacher speaking to me in Spanish, it was incredible.

“I felt like even though I was surrounded by people who didn’t look like me, there were people who spoke my language. »

Weinkauf and Peña were part of a group of parents who visited schools with dual immersion programs in other counties, with district representatives as part of the exploration process.

“We asked parents to explore this,” Peña said, “and for the first time, they listened to us and I felt valued.”

“But when we went to the meeting, it was shocking to see all the teachers wearing red. I felt intimidated. I felt like they wouldn’t hear my voice,” she added. “We are at an early stage and it is sad that teachers are not willing to explore this topic with parents. They say no before we even take a step forward.

You can reach Tarini Mehta at 707-521-5337 or [email protected]. On X (Twitter) @MehtaTarini.