The ICCSD’s $3.6 million budget cuts have been causing insane controversy these past few weeks in Iowa City, cutting programs like 4th grade orchestra, 7th grade football, along with the plans to cut dozens of teachers and several librarians. There are many unsettling budget cuts that are going to be made, but the most unsettling is the cut of all languages in the junior high schools, along with cutting German out of the district completely.

Taking languages out of all of the district’s junior high schools is a serious problem, and a terrible idea. If students learn languages at younger ages, the language will stick better in their brain, and they will be able to learn other languages more efficiently later in their life. Ideally, we should be teaching languages starting in elementary school, since junior high is even a little late to start teaching languages efficiently. But waiting until high school will really inhibit the student’s ability to learn.

In every other country besides America, every student is required to start taking a language in elementary school, and then another language later in school. Countries that do this have higher test scores and better school systems than we do in our country. America used to be able to compete with these countries’ education systems, but if changes like this are made all over the country, we will continue to fall behind. The ICCSD is a very reputable and well-known school district. Our decision to cut languages in junior high schools could possibly influence other districts, leading to a downfall in language fluency.

The duty of a school district is to teach and provide opportunities to students. However, cutting languages will do the exact opposite. The district should not be taking opportunities away from students, and taking languages from the junior high schools will do exactly that.

There would be so many more practical things to cut than language programs (which are so, so important). The third high school, the SMARTboards, the new unneeded turf practice field, dozens of iPads per school, and other unnecessary things the district spends money on should be cut from their budget instead of foreign language programs.

If you agree that foreign languages should stay in junior high schools, please sign this petition to let the district know how you feel: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keep-foreign-languages-in-the-iccsds-junior-highs