Dive Summary:
- A bill currently in Michigan's House Education Committee would drop foreign language studies as a high school graduation requirement.
- The bill, which is sponsored by state Rep. Phil Potvin, comes at a time when a number of districts around the country are dropping foreign language requirements, and it would allow students to take computer science as an alternative to foreign language requirements and Algebra 2.
- The Michigan Department of Education opposes the bill and argues that foreign languages make the state's students competitive in a global marketplace, but legislators in support of the bill say it provides more flexibility for students who aren't planning on going to college.
From the article:
... Politicians say the change would offer more flexibility for students who plan to bypass college for a technical career.
Currently, students must take a foreign language in grades 9-12 to graduate. Starting with students who entered third grade in 2006, foreign language study in grades K-8 counts too.
The bill is in the House Education Committee, which plans to consider it this spring, said its chairwoman, state Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons, R-Alto. ...
