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Miami-Dade County Education Controversy: Bilingual teaching French or Creole?

EDUCATION: Creole controversy

PARENTS ARE DIVIDED OVER SCHOOL'S ATTEMPT TO MAINSTREAM HAITIAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS

BY PETER BAILEY

pbailey@MiamiHerald.com

Posted on Mon, Sep. 18, 2006

Monica Bazile twisted her pigtails as she stared at the red block letters. ''Ccccc . . . Ccc . . .'' stuttered the 6-year-old, stumbling over the fourth one.

''It's Ch . . . the next one is Ch!'' classmate Schnahendhia Mentor gasped.

''Quiet . . . Silans!'' teacher Yolande Pierre warned.

Pierre's class usually begins with Monica and other Morningside Elementary School students reciting the alfabé Kreyol -- the Creole alphabet -- sounding out vowels and numbers, immersed in the language of Haiti.

The class, offered as part of Morningside's dual-language curriculum, is the only such program in the Miami-Dade or Broward counties school districts.

The students attend courses in English for the first half of the day and then Creole for the remainder. About 40 students in kindergarten and first grade are enrolled in the program.

Educators believe the early introduction of Creole is critical to the academic success of the predominantly Haitian student population because Creole is the language most often spoken in their households.

But several parents in Morningside's attendance zone say they were blind-sided by the implementation of Creole into the school's curriculum, a decision they argue was influenced by Haitian solidarity, which undermined the wishes of many non-Haitian parents.

''We're disappointed that the politics surrounding the community affected the educational decisions made at the school,'' Rico James said. ``We feel the community's trust was broken.''

Rico and Kalyn James were among dozens of parents and school officials who participated in a survey to choose the languages for the school's new dual-language program. The parents were given the options of French, Spanish and Creole.

According to the survey, French and Spanish were the top choices.

Officials initially opted to add Creole as an enrichment program offered after school and on Saturdays but later decided to add Creole as the third option.

PARENTS OUTRAGED

''There were some people in the Haitian community that wanted their heritage language maintained,'' said Joanne Urrutia, a director for the district's bilingual education and world languages. ``At some point, Creole came back as the third language during the regular program.''

The Jameses and other parents were outraged.

In a letter to school officials, Alice Mensch wrote:

'When the process of choosing the languages for the dual-language program began, it was made very clear to the community that only two languages could be included in the dual-language program; three languages would be impossible to implement successfully and that the program, as a result, would fail . . . I am married to a 100% subcontinent Asian Indian, and my neighbors (and very good friends) are Nigerian and Haitian. We are not `white elitists' as some would claim.''

Urrutia admits adding the third option can create problems.

''It's very difficult to manage the schedule and the resources when there's more than two foreign languages,'' she said.

Kalyn James also wrote to officials:

``This school is for the community members, and the community OVERWHELMINGLY chose Spanish and French as the final languages. This is not a Haitian-only school and, like other cultures, the children of Haitian descent have every opportunity to be exposed to the knowledge and use of their language in the home.''

The couple sent their 3-year-old daughter, Phoenix, to another school as a result.

''We just didn't see how Creole would be beneficial for the students in larger society, considering today's global economy,'' Rico James said. ``French is a more universal language.''

That sentiment strikes a chord in Haiti, where Creole is given second-class status to French by the country's small elite class, said Michel DeGraff, associate professor of linguistics at MIT.

DeGraff said the perception adds to Haitian students' dismal illiteracy rates.

''The best schools in Haiti have long favored, and continue to favor, education in French, while the numerical majority of the population speaks Creole only,'' DeGraff said.

At Morningside, 6620 NE Fifth Ave., Pierre's class depicts the majority. Most of the students, like Monica and Schnahendhia, are first-generation Haitian-American kids, many from poor and working-class families.

''At home, all their parents speak is Creole; in the neighborhood, all they hear is Creole,'' principal Kathleen John-Loussaint said.

Pierre agrees.

''When you understand your culture, you can better correlate with others, because your self-worth is reinforced,'' she said.

As part of the program, families will participate in activities dedicated to bolstering Haitian culture.

For kids, already plagued by myriad negative stereotypes, DeGraff said, refusing to teach Creole reinforces stereotypes and further alienates them in the classroom.

`SHARE THEIR STRUGGLE'

The Jameses, who are African American, said it hurts them to be accused of being anti-Creole or anti-Haitian.

''Of course these kids should know their native tongue and not lose their heritage,'' Rico James said. ``We're all black people, and we share their struggle.''

The Jameses' three-bedroom home sits on a quiet tree-lined street, several blocks from Morningside. Kalyn James envisioned walking Phoenix to and from school every day.

''I don't think the school is prepared to give my child the kind of education she deserves, and I don't think there's any reason it can't,'' Kalyn James said.

Now the family has enrolled Phoenix at Morningside Montessori, about 20 blocks away. They pay more than $7,000 in annual tuition.

John-Loussaint knows the Creole program has caused a stir but is optimistic it will be a success.

''I know there are people in the community who weren't happy with the decision, but I'm sure as we go forward, people will begin to understand the benefits,'' she said.

Added Pierre: ``What can I say? . . . It's about time these children come to appreciate their native tongue.''