28 February 2025
Inclusion of French in Dual Language Immersion Pathways

February 28 2025

Dear Filip Hristic and Will Flores,

As an advocate for language education within Portland Public Schools (PPS), I am writing to urge the establishment of a dedicated French Dual Language Pathway.

Currently, PPS offers robust dual language pathways for languages like Japanese, Vietnamese, and Russian, providing students with clear and equitable opportunities to continue their language learning through high school. It is essential that French, a language with deep cultural ties to our community, receives the same level of support.

The benefits of a French Dual Language Pathway are numerous and enduring:

*Equitable Access: It provides a transparent and accessible pathway for all students coming from a PPS supported French school, eliminating the need for a complex and often confusing hardship petition process.

*Support for students from diverse cultural backgrounds, including those in underserved communities: Many students at Le Monde hail from or have strong cultural ties to regions of the world where French is widely spoken, including French speaking Canada, Haiti, Senegal, Algeria, and Morocco, as well as other parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and West Africa.

*Student Retention: It keeps students within PPS, preventing them from seeking private education options that offer more comprehensive language programs.

While many Portland Public high schools could potentially house this pathway, Lincoln High School is currently the best option due to the following attributes:

*A strong existing French program.

*Proximity to community resources that enhance language learning, including Alliance Française de Portland and Portland State University.

*An existing International Baccalaureate (IB) program that aligns with Le Monde’s IB Middle program.

*Supportive administration.

Establishing a French Dual Language Pathway is not just about language; it's about providing equitable access to a high-quality education that meets the diverse needs of our students. It's about recognizing and celebrating the rich cultural tapestry of our community.

We believe that all PPS students deserve the opportunity to pursue their language learning goals. Please support the inclusion of French in the formal Dual Language Immersion Pathway programs.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Community members & Parents of French immersion students, current, future, and past.

195
signatures
176 verified
  1. Emma Colburn, GIS Technician, PDX
  2. Marisa Textor, Writer & Editor, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  3. Jessica Riness, Paramedic, Portland
  4. David C Childers, physician, Portland
  5. Carie Nedley, Business Owner, Potted In Portland, Portland
  6. Representative Emerson Levy, Representative, State of Oregon, Bend
  7. Heather Velonis, Adjunt Professor, Le Monde PPS Charter School Parent
  8. Alexander Banks-Watson, Manager, Mastery Systems Inc, Portland
  9. Nicole Riness, Project Manager, Portland
  10. Harry nedley, Portland
  11. Stephanie Jones, Substitute teacher and middle school coach, Portland Public Schools, Portland
  12. Patrick Blakeslee, Contractor, Uncle of LeMond student (nephew), Portland
  13. Wei Shen, Portland
  14. Jennifer “JT” Nies, Current Le Monde parent of 3, Portland
  15. Bethany Skinner, Current Le Monde Parent of 3, Portland
  16. May Barruel, Gallery owner, Le Monde parent, Portland
  17. Stephanie Willis, Business Owner and Mom of 2, Portland
  18. Andrea Ilana Langstaff Woodard, Cancer registrar, Portland
  19. Adrianne Delcotto, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  20. Gisella Barbaray, Restaurant owner, Barbaray S Corp, Milwaukie
  21. Dave Skinner, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  22. Jill Dolata, Professor, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  23. Claire Vlach, Urban designer, Portland
  24. Christina Whitlow, Lactation Consultant, Portland
  25. Jeffrey Yasskin, Software Engineer, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  26. Sebastien Rake, Wine importer, CorksCru Wine Merchants, Portland, Or
  27. Jennifer Miller, Fish and Wildlife Administrator, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  28. Jesse Netherland, Project Manager, PSI-CRO, Portland
  29. Heather Sweeney, Salutation*, Portland
  30. Julie Nimnicht, Parent of two current Le Monde students, Portland
  31. Brooke Smith, Le Monde PPS Charter parent, Portland
  32. Eli A Lane, Trading/Logistics Analyst, Calbag Metals, Portland
  33. Emily Flansburgh, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  34. Emily Bulfin, Art Director, Portland, Oregon
  35. Andrea Mumford, Educator, Le Monde parent, Portland
  36. Allison Frost, Senior Producer, mom, Public media, mom of Le Monde student and one alum, Portland
  37. Cecile Steinbeck, Nurse practitioner, Portland, OR
  38. Tatiana Graham, Portland
  39. Hanah Riley, Portland
  40. Alexis Haslam, Registered Nurse, Portland
  41. Michal McCamman, Art Teacher, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  42. Adam Haslam, Healthcare Executive/ Le Monde Parent, OHSU, Portland
  43. Emily Barrett, Executive Assistant, Arts/Education Philanthropic sector, Portland
  44. Soizic Alberti, GM, Portland
  45. John Hall, Founder and CFO, American Fiduciary Services, Portland
  46. Emily Tucker, Arts Administration, Le Monde parent, Milwaukie
  47. Elissa Kevrekian, Creative Director, Le Monde parent, Portland
  48. zhihui zhen, Business Owner, Le Monde parents, Portland
  49. Laura Dubroca, Interpreter, Laura Dubroca LLC, Portland
  50. Katja Gluhr, Mother (& Teacher), LeMonde Charter School (German American Society:), Portland
  51. Teresa Jacobs, Consultant, Portland
  52. Mary Rebecca Medkeff, Stay at home mom, Current Le Monde parent, Portland
  53. Robert Medkeff, Creative Director, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  54. Aremy Stewart, Artist, Le Monde parent, Portland
  55. Suzanne Ash, Parent of a Le Monde (and a L’Etoile) student, Portland
  56. Jennifer Perlmutter, Professor of French at Portland State U and Le Monde parent, Portland
  57. Jana Rhyu, Senior Director of Product, Le Monde Parent, Lake Oswego, OR
  58. Ann Morrison
  59. Leslie Nies, Veterinarian, Portland
  60. PAMELA J SPORBORG, , Lê Monde Parent, Portland
  61. Emmanuelle Pare, Physician, Le Monde parent, Portland
  62. Renee Bartley, Portland
  63. Lilith Judd, Physician, Portland
  64. Dory Hobbs, Business Owner, Atlas Immersion Academy, Portland
  65. Mariela Daby, Professor, Reed College., Le Monde Parent, Portland
  66. Megan Li, Digital marketing manager, Portland
  67. Aquila Velonis, Energy Consultant, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  68. Kayleen Nelson, Business Owner, Semi-Conductor Components Industry, Portland
  69. Kylo Konechny, Business owner, Portwood, Portland
  70. Susan Bickerstaff, Education Researcher, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  71. Houhui Leng, Le Monde parent, Portland
  72. Stephanie Olding, Product Manager, Portland
  73. Scott Belleri, Owner/Violin Teacher, Triad Music Studio, Portland
  74. Andrew Fuchs, Technical writer, Portland
  75. Tracey Turkoly, Self employed, Portland
  76. Georgia West, Consultant and Le Monde Parent, Portland
  77. Jordan Dushin, AP Specialist, Crossover Health, Portland
  78. Marjani Hendrickson, Sales, Portland
  79. Randolph Guerra, Business owner, Parent of 2, Portland
  80. Rachel Lim, Electrolysist, Le Monde Parent of 2, Portland
  81. Elizabeth A BORGES, Parent Le Monde Kindergartener, Senior Legal Counsel, Portland
  82. Dana Kuriakose, Physician, LeMonde Parent, Portland
  83. Meredith Mortensen, Business owner, Portland
  84. Brittany Daggett, Sales, Portland
  85. Jack Hendrickson, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  86. Aaron West, Landscape Architect, Shapiro Didway, LLC, Portland
  87. Erika Wilder, Brand Copywriter, Portland
  88. Cyril Kuriakose, Physician, Le Monde, Portland
  89. MATEUSZ Dolata, Transportation Engineer, Le monde parent, Portland
  90. Noah Carolan, Mental Health Therapist, Eastside Counseling, Portland
  91. Mary Bethea, Mental health, Le Monde Immersion, Portland
  92. Brian Whitmer, Therapist, Portland
  93. Andrea Sommer, Entrepreneur, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  94. Angélica Osorno, Le Monde parent, Portland
  95. Betsey Brada, Anthropologist, Reed College, Portland
  96. Julia Dunn, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  97. Zach Dunn, Attorney, Portland
  98. Margaux Mennesson, Public health, Le monde parent, Portland
  99. Hillary Sloane Casper, PPS teacher, Portland
  100. Jana McKamey, Executive Director, Portland
  101. Lauren Lakhdar-Ghazal, Fundraiser, Le Monde parent, Portland
  102. Kelsey Jourdan, Portland
  103. Patrick Weishampel, Creative Director, BLANKEYE, Portland
  104. Alex Shook, Environmental Manager, Portland Parks & Recreation
  105. Gwendoline Van Doosselaere, Business Owner, Artemis Divorce Coaching, Portland
  106. Cielle Taaffe Spurgeon, Parent, Le Monde French Immersion, Portland, OR
  107. Bonnie Carolan, Creative Program Management, Le Monde French Immersion, Portland
  108. Diego Basabe, Communications, Health Department, Portland
  109. Christopher Dimitriou, Le monde parent, Portland
  110. Jacob Strawn, Portland
  111. Karyn Gallant, Engineer, Equilibrium Mining, Portland
  112. Melissa Hendricks, Attorney, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  113. Giri Krishnamoorthy, Portland
  114. Kate Merrill, Project Planner, Portland
  115. Kathryn Peck, Portland
  116. Lew De Leon, Tennis Coach, PDX Performance Tennis Academy, Portland
  117. Shannon Blajeski, Professor, Parent of North Portland child, PSU Professor, Portland
  118. Eva Meszaros, Grant writing consultant, Portland
  119. Brendan O'Hara, Portland
  120. Blake D Johnson, E-commerce Strategy, LeMonde French Immersion Public Charter School, Portland
  121. Naveena Bushan, Le Monde, Portland, OR
  122. Elise Coury, Self employed, Portland
  123. Arash Saffarzadeh, Digital Product Management, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  124. Haydn Dolata, Private Investigator, Portland
  125. Ping Liu, Portland
  126. Anita MacAuley, Contract Specialist, Portland resident/French major, U of O, Portland
  127. Trevor Hendricks, Software Developer, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  128. emily gilbert, Portland
  129. Vajra Alaya-Maitreya, businesses owner, Monochromatic, Portland
  130. Jennifer Stoner, HR Manager, PPS Japanese Dual Language parent, Portland
  131. Ted Winschel, Management Consultant, Le Monde parent, Portland
  132. Clotilde Johnson-Beale, Pediatrician, Le Monde Immersion Parent, Portland
  133. Brianna Beaudoin, HCW/Cosmetologist, LeMonde French Immersion, Portland
  134. Ms. Jennifer L Rollins, RN, Le Monde parent, Portland
  135. Pierre Joseph Kaiser, Engineer, Le Monde Parent, Portland
  136. Emily Lindsay, Consultant, Le Monde parent of 2, Portland
  137. Lirio Penado Monje, Regional Director of Education, Atlas immersion academy, Portland
  138. Raina Croff, Assoc. Prof. Neurology, Portland, OR
  139. Lark Lingenfelter, Community Manager, Atlas Immersion Academy, West Linn
  140. Tosha Vanderburg, Parole/Probation Officer, Multnomah County Department of Community Justice, Portland
  141. Gabrielle payne, operations manager, Atlas Immersion Academy, Portland
  142. Naggybeh Arriaga Solis, Assitant Director, Atlas Immersion Academy, Portland
  143. Marie Scheffers, Human Resources, Portland
  144. Molly Deas, Manager, OHSU, Portland
  145. Stephanie Roulon, Portland State University, Portland
  146. Cathy Lewis-Dougherty, Retired, Lake Oswego
  147. Julie Nelson, French instructor, Portland State University, Portland
  148. Steven Thorne, Professor, Portland State University, Portland
  149. Chrystele Luneau, Adjunct Prof, PSU, PORTLAND
  150. Gina Greco, Professor of Fry, Portland State University, Portland
  151. Ines Warnock, Teaching Assistant Professor, Portland State Un\iversity, Tigard
  152. Heidi Baker, Landscape Architect, Le Monde PPS Charter School Parent, Portland
  153. Rebecca Sanders, Consultant, Le Monde parent, Portland
  154. Gina Johnson, French teacher, Lakeridge HS, Lake Oswego
  155. Alicia Munson, Portland
  156. Michelle Lamanet, Business owner, Le Monde parent, Portland
  157. Amy Norton, Enterprise Architect, Portland
  158. Sam Powell, Commercial construction, Portland
  159. Courtney LaManna, Portland
  160. Kathryn Schwartz, Psychotherapist, Le Monde mom, Portland
  161. Nicolas Gros, Driver, Portland, OR
  162. Jacqueline Brock, RN, Portland
  163. Cynthia Casas, Acupuncturist, Equanimity Wellness, Portland
  164. Cari Bouguettaya, Postal worker, Portland
  165. Lauren Tyers, Account Manager, Flynn, Portland
  166. Christy Trotter, Parent, Portland
  167. Jo Anne Rodgers, Radiologic Technologist, Kaiser Permanente NW, Portland
  168. Jacquelyn Krogman, Realtor, PORTLAND
  169. Erik Snyder, Programmer, Parent, Portland
  170. Joshua Fingert, Software, Portland
  171. Beth Melix-Stanciu, Non-profit finance, Portlanf
  172. Sarah Fuller, WSALPHO Communications, Parent of 2 current Le Monde students, Portland
  173. Maggie Conser, Nurse Practitioner, OHSU, Portland
  174. Liz Rhode, Attorney, Gillaspy Rhode Faddis & Benn, Portland
  175. Peter Motley, Le Monde parent, Portland
  176. Andrew Powelson, YEB, Portland
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