Why DLI Should Be Optional

Being part of the Dual Language Immersion program should be optional. DLI should be optional because Monroe students were not informed when they enrolled in the DLI program that they would take an extra class before school. As a result, DLI students have a lot more work than students not enrolled in DLI.

Getting up early is a struggle for most people, and now students from Monroe have to get up earlier than most students, while students not enrolled in DLI get to sleep in longer. Ethan Shepherd, a DLI student, said, “I don't really like it because we have to wake up and get to school pretty early.” Unless you're a morning person, you have the same opinion. Half of the Monroe kids are exhausted from getting up earlier than everyone else.

Some believe that the DLI program will benefit students. Mrs. Cook, the counselor at Fitz, said, “It's a new program at Fitz, so it's awesome because [of] its academics in Spanish and English.” Most Fitz teachers and staff enjoy having DLI because they think it's encouraging students to do better. But instead, it's the complete opposite; they have extra work to complete on top of their other six classes.

The new program does have some positives. For example, students who want to be fluent in another language have the opportunity to become bilingual. However, it would be better if it was optional for people who want to join and learn how to write and speak in another language. It would be a better experience if people who want to learn Spanish joined instead of forcing all Monroe students to continue in the program when they don’t want to.

Students should be able to get out of the program. Half of the classes that DLI students are enrolled in must be taught Spanish for the rest of their K-12 education. It's not necessarily a bad thing to be learning Spanish at school, but it does get tiring because when you can't understand it, the teachers may not always give you the support you need, and the extra work can cause you a lot of anxiety and stress. In essence, specific students that went to a specific school shouldn't be forced to be taught in Spanish or take an extra class that isn't even necessary.

Overall, DLI is a really great idea that the district came up with, but it should either be temporary or optional because it's unfair how only specific students have to take an extra class.