Category Archives: Save Immersion

J-LEARN Seminar: Supporting the Future of Japanese Language Education in the US

On November 5, 2017 at the George Washington University Cloyd Heck Marvin Center, J-LEARN will co-host a seminar that will discuss the current state of affairs with respect to Japanese language education in the Greater Washington DC region (to include VA Beach) in cooperation with J.LIVE Talk.  

Through this seminar, we hope to reflect on why studying Japanese is important, examine who is currently studying Japanese, address opportunities and challenges to Japanese programs, and discuss ways in which advocacy for preserving such language programs can be improved. 

By bringing together students, parents, educators and key stakeholders with an interest in Japan and Japanese to discuss the importance of continuing, preserving and promoting Japanese language education in the US, we hope to fine tune advocacy techniques and strategies in order to build a more robust advocacy toolbox. 

The Seminar agenda can be found below

Agenda-Japan Friendship Seminar 2017 vers.3.xlsx

More information about J.LIVE Talk 2017 can be found HERE.

 

Call the School Board by Feb 9

We got very reliable intelligence from the School Board that some sort of decision on language immersion will be made by Feb 9.  NOW is the time to make those calls and send those email of support for immersion to School Board Members.   Calling is preferable!! The only thing you have to say is that you want them to keep and/or expand language immersion programs. You can have your kids leave messages too!

Contact your School Board member immediately and let him/her know that language immersion should be expanded, not eliminated. Jane Strauss represents schools in the GFES pyramid. Email her at Jane.Strauss@fcps.edu AND call 571-423-1087.

Also call the at-large representatives:

Ryan McElveen
Phone: 571-423-1089 E-mail: Ryan.McElveen@fcps.edu

Ilryong Moon
Phone: 571-423-1090 E-mail: ilryong.moon@fcps.edu

Jeanette Hough
Phone: 571-423-1091 E-mail: jhough1@fcps.edu

January 30 (6pm at Jackson Middle School) is the next public hearing by the School Board on the budget.  Please consider attending to show your support.  Some GFES students are scheduled to speak.  We welcome more students to support them by holding signs.

To stay up to date on immersion – join JCC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1231513710211703/ and Fairfax FLAGS on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/fairfaxflags/

Budget Battle 2.0

We just learned today that a decision has to be made by the School Board in January about programs that affect classroom sizes/placement. Language immersion is included in that group. The last Budget Task Force also voted for the cancellation of immersion.

This quick pace of decision making by the School Board is alamring.  Thus, all parents and students who support the program to consider the following actions immediately:

1) Register to speak at the School Board Meeting next Monday, January 30 ASAP. Registration will close soon. https://www.fcps.edu/school-board/citizen-participation Register for the public budget hearing.

2) Contact your School Board member immediately and let him/her know that language immersion should be expanded, not eliminated. Jane Strauss represents schools in the GFES pyramid. Email her at Jane.Strauss@fcps.edu AND call 571-423-1087.

Call the at-large representatives:

Ryan McElveen
Phone: 571-423-1089 E-mail: Ryan.McElveen@fcps.edu

Ilryong Moon
Phone: 571-423-1090 E-mail: ilryong.moon@fcps.edu

Jeanette Hough
Phone: 571-423-1091 E-mail: jhough1@fcps.edu

Calling is preferable!! The only thing you have to say is that you want them to keep language immersion programs.

3) To stay up to date on immersion – join JCC on Facebook HERE and Fairfax FLAGS on Facebook HERE.

Immersion is Safe for Now

After six months of hard work, with dozens of FLAGS and FACE speakers at public hearings and thousands of letters and phone calls by FLAGS and FACE supporters, we have achieved the largest increase in FCPS funding in over a decade.  With increased state and county contributions, the FY 2017 budget will increase by 5.7 percent ($88 million) compared to FY 2016. There is still work to do, especially testimony before the School Board on May 17.  There will probably be NO CUTS to FCPS language immersion programs or 4th grade strings this year. (We will have to fight again next year because the budget deficit will be larger than this year, but we are safe for this year.)  The Board of Supervisors approved its budget on April 26, and the School Board approves its budget on May 26.

THANK YOU to everyone in the community who has gone above and beyond in so many different ways to save these incredible programs.  On April 14th, the JCC invited School Board Member Jane Strauss, Board of Supervisor John Foust, Japanese Embassy Officials, Principal of Fox Mill Elementary School Brian Moose and World Languages Specialist Beatrix Preusse-Burr to visit our school.  At that meeting, Ms. Strauss and Mr. Foust said repeatedly that they have never seen an advocacy campaign for the preservation of language immersion like this in Fairfax County.  Our voices were heard loud and clear, and we succeeded against all odds.  

In June, the JCC will be working with FLAGS to start laying the groundwork for next year’s budget fight, and we will support the fight for the Meals Tax , which will likely be on the ballot this November, as part of an overall strategy to diversify the County’s sources of income. 

It’s Crunch Time

It’s crunch time, folks.  As we head into Spring Break and Easter, please take the time to encourage family and friends to lend their voices in our fight to save immersion from being cut.

Here are two easy steps they can take:

To Sign the Change.org Petition :  Click Here

To Sign the iPetitions Petition:  Click Here

Learn How to Write our Representatives: Click Here

Fostering young children’s linguistic as well as cultural capabilities is a vital response to the need for proficient multilingual people or national security and global business.

Please forward this information to your colleagues, families, friends, and neighbors who value language education.

Thank you very much for your supporting language immersion programs in FCPS!

Save Immersion: We need more signatures!

It’s crunch time, folks.  As we head into Spring Break and Easter, please take the time to encourage family and friends to lend their voices in our fight to save immersion from being cut.

Here are two easy steps they can take:

Sign the Petition:  Click Here

Write our Representatives: Here’s How

Fostering young children’s linguistic as well as cultural capabilities is a vital response to the need for proficient multilingual people or national security and global business.

Please forward this information to your colleagues, families, friends, and neighbors who value language education.

Thank you very much for your supporting language immersion programs in FCPS!

FCPS Budget Process Explained in Japanese

We’ve added a new document in Japanese (courtesy of Fox Mill ES JCC) that explains the FCPS budget process and how families can advocate for an increase in the FCPS 2017 budget. Please send the link (Click Here) to friends and families from the Japanese community so that they can better advocate on behalf of our immersion program.

Board of Supervisors Members Attack Japanese Immersion

In the past few days, two member of the Board of Supervisors have shown their lack of support for the Japanese Immersion Program.  None of the JCC co-Chairs heard the comments directly.  We are in the process of trying to understand why Japanese is specifically being mentioned – the JI program is a very small part of the school budget.  At this point, we have the following information.

Here are a summary of recent events in English and in Japanese.

We are at a critical juncture in the budget process and must do all that we can to raise our voices in support of Japanese Immersion.

Here are some important dates to keep in mind.

Here is a fact sheet that was put together by a Fox Mill parent, which includes important information about the budget process, how you can help and sample letters.

Fairfax FLAGS Meeting Recap

On November 30, 2015 Fairfax Flags (website) held a meeting at Fox Mill ES.

For meeting notes, click here

JI parents at Fox Mill ES have put together a document in Japanese that outlines the FCPS budget process and explains the crisis facing the immersion program.

Please let your native Japanese friends and family know that this helpful guide is available here.

Superintendent Garza is currently drafting her proposed budget for FY 2017.  If we want to ensure that the immersion program at Great Falls ES and other FCPS schools continues, we need to make our voices heard.  Please write an email of support for the immersion program to Dr. Garza and your School Board representative. Encourage your kids to write a letter too.

While a personal note is best, you can find a sample email and important email addresses here to help you get started.