The answer is a resounding YES!

The Old Adobe Board of Trustees is faced with making some very deep budget cuts over the next few years as a result of the State of California financial crisis. One of the problems that the District faces is declining enrollment at the Bernard Eldridge Elementary School. When enrollment declines, so does school funding. This creates a need for even further cuts. Although an unpopular decision, one of the ideas being considered by the Board is the closing of the Bernard Eldridge Elementary School.

Here is where Dual Immersion comes in. Superintendent Diane Zimmerman, Principal Andi Stubbs and a group of parents have been working on starting an English/Spanish Dual Immersion Program at the Bernard Eldridge school. At this time 44 students have registered for the program with half being from out of district. Out of district transfers bring money into the school. New programs that are popular with parents and the community bring money into the school. Dual Immersion programs have been shown to be extremely popular throughout California with many schools having long waiting lists. Bringing such a program to Bernard Eldridge could be a way to save the school and bring more money into the District thereby helping with the budget crisis.

The Old Adobe Board of Trustees will be making a decision on whether to approve the Dual Immersion program over the next week. The Board is looking to hear from the community about whether or not they should approve this program. Please call or send them an email letting them know your opinion on these important issues. Dual Immersion is a positive way we can help bring financial growth to the Bernard Eldridge school and also provide a much needed and beneficial program to our area.

Please contact these Board Members:

Board President Debbie Sammons Phone:  707-778-3778
Email: dsammon@oldadobe.org

Board Vice President Rick Parker Phone:  707-762-7746
Email: rparker@oldadobe.org

Board Clerk Russ Wigglesworth Phone:  707-769-0425
Email:  rwigglesworth@oldadobe.org

Board Member Mary Colbert Phone:  707-781-3387
Email:  mcolbert@oldadobe.org

Board Member Marlene Abel Phone:  707-763-0443
Email:  mabel@oldadobe.org

Thank you for your support!
Parent Volunteer Tia Spear Phone:  415-884-2747
Email: tia@spear.org

I am with Tia on this one.
As a certificated bilingual teacher with bilingual teaching experience in California, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Peru and Taiwan;I can say that bilingual dual immersion works!
Bilingual immersion is practiced here in Taiwan as well as many other parts of the world because they recognize the value of it as a sound educational tool.
The Us Department of Education came out with a very convincing longitudinal study on the matter called the Close Report from OBEMLA, the Federal Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs. The sudy shows very clear empirical evidence of the superiority of bilingual immersion programs in comparison to all other program models.
I have to say that my students are tremendously successful because of their participation in such programs.
I myself, am a product of a multicultural and multilingual upbringing and I have managed to win full graduate scholarships to some of the best private universities in Europe because of the advantages afforded to me an unusually bi-cultural background.