Question – I don’t teach a Dual Immersion class but there is one taught on my grade level at my school. I am seriously concerned about the fact that, while our district is adopting this great new math program- Go Math!, our D.I. classes will still be teaching a separate curriculum. WHY? I get that Go Math! probably doesn’t come pre-translated but why is that stopping us? If we are saying that this is a great program- and we are also saying that the D.I. is here to stay- then why aren’t we following through?

My school does a FABULOUS job of collaborating- particularly my team. We work together a lot and wonderful things come of that (see our STATIS Report for evidence- or just come visit!). However, our poor French teachers are totally isolated. Not only are they responsible for 60++ students and teaching in a different language, but they also have to do it on their own? When teaching from two different math curriculums, it’s really difficult- I will go so far to say impossible to have regular and meaningful collaboration time. Why are we excluding the teachers who likely need the support the most?? What a huge disservice to our teachers and students!

I know that translating the math into Chinese might be a ridiculous undertaking. But you’d be hard pressed to convince me that it would be too hard to translate it into French or Spanish. Pay a team a stipend to translate it. It’s a one-time cost but the benefits will out weigh the cost a hundred times. Isn’t the whole goal to get everyone in our district on the same page? Then let’s stop saying “Everyone but…”

I understand that there are a lot of logistics that would go into this- but we have very smart people in our district that are absolutely capable of figuring out all the details! I don’t speak French, but I know first grade math, so I would absolutely be willing to help as needed. And I know others who feel the same way.

Has this even been discussed?

Response – We are well aware of the importance of providing math books for dual immersion students in Spanish, French, and Chinese and have been addressing that need over time. Remembering that dual immersion is a program under the purview of the USOE, those folks are also well aware of this issue and are working with us and other districts to address the situation.

While I appreciate the suggestion that you and possibly other excellent teachers in our district might translate the new Go Math! program materials into other languages for a stipend, it simply would not be resource effective to tackle such a project. Granite District’s Interconnections materials were created largely by teachers, but when we involved some in translating our own Interconnections materials into other languages it literally took several years. In the same several years we will be able to purchase the necessary materials already published in those languages.

Here’s where we are now, however. Go Math! is currently available through the publisher in Spanish, and all of our dual immersion Spanish programs are being provided those materials at all grade levels. As far as French and Chinese are concerned, Pearson Education has translated their Envisions Math program in French and Chinese, which has been aligned with the new math standards. We are currently using this Envisions Math translated program in 2012-2013. All of the French and Chinese Immersion programs in Utah are using the program with support from the Immersion team at the USOE. Since each district with immersion programs may have adopted a different math program in English, it falls to the district to provide additional support and correlation. Granite District Immersion specialist is providing support and training for teachers in French and Chinese in following our district math curriculum maps. It is in this area that you and your team can and certainly should collaborate. You and your colleagues can discuss concepts that need attention and share lessons and instructional activities that can address them, whether or not you are employing the same textbook. Our French and Chinese teachers can certainly translate great ideas from their colleagues into meaningful support in their own classrooms and vice versa.

Thanks to Curriculum and Learning for their assistance in responding to this question.