Merrick proposes cutting Spanish

Third- to sixth-grade students in the Merrick School District now receive Spanish instruction for 45 minutes every six school days. Soon, however, they may learn the meaning of “no mas.”

District administrators have recommended cutting Spanish — and two Spanish teachers — to the Board of Education. Merrick Superintendent Dr. Dominick Palma said that he and other administrators believe the instructional time could be better spent on topics related to STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Merrick is a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade district that includes Birch, Chatterton and Levy-Lakeside elementary schools and feeds into the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, which comprises grades seven to 12.

Palma, who holds bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology and a certificate of school administration, described foreign language as a “21st century skill.” But, he said, “With the dosage of 45 minutes every six days, can you teach foreign language? The clear answer to that is no.” He added that the time spent on foreign language could be spent on developing students’ online research skills, including cyber-safety protocols.

Palma said that the move to eliminate Foreign Language in the Elementary School, or FLES, was not driven by the demands of standardized tests or budgetary pressures, though, according to two knowledgeable sources, the district does not plan to add two new teachers to the budget once the FLES instructors are eliminated. Instead, Palma said, the proposal followed from a conclusion by district administrators that Merrick students do not benefit enough from Spanish instruction.

Palma said that conversations between him and past and present Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District and Merrick administrators led him to believe that Merrick students fared no better in Merrick Avenue Middle School Spanish classes than their North Merrick classmates, who do not receive Spanish instruction in elementary school.