The Wisconsin State Journal – Chris Rickert
“On Monday, the Madison School Board approved a plan that by 2017-18 could open an additional 54 slots for English-speaking students to do something way too few of us native-born Americans can do: speak two languages. The district’s Spanish dual-language immersion, or DLI, program puts native English and native Spanish speakers in the same classroom to encourage a kind of linguistic cross-pollination, with bilingualism for both groups the eventual goal. The expansion means that nine of the district’s 32 elementary schools will offer DLI. Families who don’t live in those schools’ attendance areas can try to transfer their kids into a limited number of DLI spots if they’re willing to provide transportation and forgo the benefits of being a part of the neighborhood school.”(more)