Did D-205 Break Pledge On In-Person Classes?

ELMHURST, IL — Last Wednesday, Elmhurst School District 205 said in a mass email that it was excited to announce that it would offer in-person classes five full days a week next fall.

Two days later, some parents learned about an exception. Apparently, even the school board was unaware.

In an email, the district informed families of middle school students who are taking French next year that their classes would be largely remote. It said it would have one French teacher for Bryan, Churchville and Sandburg middle schools.

The French classes will continue, but the teacher will rotate in-person instruction between the three schools, according to the district. In other words, the students will have an in-person teacher one-third of the time.

While the students are remote, they will be under the supervision of a "dedicated staff member" in the classroom, the email said.

In an interview, Kate Feutz, a parent with a student in the French program, said her understanding was that the district got rid of all the middle school French teachers but one.

She said state regulations allowed remote learning for an emergency such as a pandemic. But she said such learning wasn't meant to be permanent.

Apparently, the school board was never told about the change in the French program. Feutz said she emailed all the board members about the issue.

"I am hoping they can reverse this, as it sounds like they didn't vote on it," she said.

Responding to a Patch text message, board member Jim Collins said Tuesday, "The first I had heard of it was from a parent."

He suggested Patch contact school board President Kara Caforio or interim Superintendent Linda Yonke.

Caforio has not returned a message for comment left on Monday. Yonke couldn't be reached for immediate comment Tuesday afternoon.

Patch on Monday left a message with questions for the district's spokeswoman, Beverly Redmond. She did not answer whether the other French teachers were laid off or whether the district planned remote classes for other programs.

However, Redmond hinted that further changes may be made to the French program.

"The design of the instructional model for the Middle School French program will be revisited in preparation for in-person learning in the fall, and families of students enrolled in French in Grades 6-8 can expect a forthcoming communication regarding the program for 2021-2022," Redmond said in an email.

Last fall, the district decided to temporarily eliminate its elementary Spanish classes because of a shortage of teachers during the pandemic. It announced the change to teachers. Patch obtained the message, which upset district officials because they had not announced the decision to parents. They said they launched an investigation to determine who leaked the information to Patch, although a public records request earlier this year showed the district had yet to identify the leaker.

Like with the French program, the Spanish issue had apparently not been discussed during an open school board meeting. Earlier this year, the board decided to permanently cancel Spanish classes in elementary schools, though the Spanish immersion program remains.