Keep Chinese Immersion in West Ada and Gateway!!

Dr. Ranells reinstate our program. If "the Treasure Valley is not ready for a program of this type" why is the University of Idaho and the Confucius Institute offering Mandarin classes in Boise? (http://www.uidaho.edu/class/confucius-institute/boise) Why does Boise State offer Mandarin? (http://worldlang.boisestate.edu/languages/chinese/) Why did NNU start their program for Mandarin in 2012? (https://chinesestudies.nnu.edu/) The valley is ready and you are leading the charge by having the only immersion program at this level !!! Dr. Ranells reinstate our program.

This a great program that shouldn't be lost.

Please keep this program!

SAVE THIS PROGRAM!!

Our family was devastated with the news of the Chinese immersion program ending. We felt that our daughter's acceptance to the program 4 years ago was a real life-changing opportunity and to have it taken away is absolutely heartbreaking. Please reconsider this decision.

Please keep the program, with proper leadership and district support this can be a very successful program.

As a retired teacher I find. It difficult to believe that you would even consider discontinuing such a valuable language program

Save this program!

This needs to be done!

This program is amazing and I love how much those I've seen in it have learned, it is 100% worth keeping!

The program should continue as opportunity of growth for our youth adhering, while bilingual cultural differences broaden in societal business relations or personal gain of interest.

The following is an excerpt from an email explaining why the test scores are a misrepresentation of this schools educational benefits. There are 20+ primary languages spoken at home for this diverse community of students. Please take the time to read this, it will possibly change your opinion of this school, if nothing else it will allow you to see how "data" out of context is dangerous. From the email: I appreciate you forwarding on that text from your friend. I have tried for many years to re-frame the 'required' data that the state makes us put on our website. That data is about "proficiency." The reality is that we have the most diverse school in our district, and that includes about 90 students for whom English is not their first language. When you sit a 3rd grade student down who has arrived in the USA this year, and make him/her take the same assessment that native speakers of English take in English and Math, they are going to do tremendously worse. So, their "proficiency" is very poor and we look like a failing school. In contrast, if we look from a "growth" lens, and look at the amount of learning that a typical Gateway student does in a year's time, we consistently outperform most other schools in our district and clearly outperform the rest of the state. However, the state does not recognize "growth" data, only "proficiency" data. It's a battle I can't win. I am so, so proud of the work our teachers do day after day, and they get beat up time and time again by faulty data.

Budgets are negotiable. At least maintain participants already enrolled through graduation.

Keep open

Witnessing this experience via currently-attending students has made me consider these schools for my own child!

Please keep this program it is a great program I am so proud of my nephew he is learning so much thank you

Please, please, please. This is just too important to lose. Please reconsider and keep the program. Thank you.

We need the diversity and incredible opportunity for the Chinese immersion program!

Signing this petition for the continuation of Tessa and Taylor Varner's Chinese program.

Please keep this program available to the children and families who attend this school.