Susan FrostVice President

The Sheridan Group

President Obama addressing students in Washington DC at a

Town Hall broadcast by Univision, March 2011

“I want you guys to be studying hard because it is critical for all American students to have language skills. And I want everybody here to be working hard to make sure that you don't just speak one language, you speak a bunch of languages. That’s apriority.”

“Getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about the skills you bring from the classroom.  It’s also about the experience you have with the world beyond our borders – with people, and languages, and cultures that are very different from our own.”

—Michelle Obama at launching of the 100,000 Strong Initiative, January 2011

http://globalinksnewswire.com/2898/michelle-obamas-china-study-abroad-speech

“I’m a believer in foreign language training. I think, unfortunately, this country hasn’t devoted enough resources, really, to foreign language training. You know, we’ve looked at the three Rs – reading, writing, and arithmetic – but we haven’t looked at [the] reality of the world that we deal with…And I believe that for the Defense Department and, I think, for the State Department, there’s a recognition that you need to have language in order to be able to relate to the world that we live in.

So, you know, my goal would be, as we go through the budget, as we develop the restraints that we have to develop, that we are creative and not undermine the kind of teaching and language training that I think is essential to our ability not only to protect our security, but frankly to be a nation that is well educated.”

—Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, August 2011

“The interconnected nature of the global economy necessitates crossing language and cultural barriers between countries. Promoting foreign language and cultural education gives future generations the framework for international cooperation, a key for economic competitiveness.”

--Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL)

in ACTFL’s September 2011

Language Educator

“The Obama Administration’s plan for renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would consolidate more than a dozen learning-related programs into three competitive funding streams focused on literacy; the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM; and a catchall category dubbed a ‘well-rounded education.’ ” – Education Week Reporting on the ESEA Blueprint, May 26, 2010

While no final deal has been passed, the House and Senate have proposed to eliminate funding for the FLAP program

The Senate has maintained last year’s cuts to Title VI, proposing $75 million in funding, and the House made additional cuts, proposing $66 million in funding

ACTFL sends a letter to the Senate opposing cuts to language programs

1) FLAP grants to establish, improve, or expand innovative foreign language programs for elementary and secondary school students.

**Approximately 74 current grants slated to receive funding in FY 2012 across 29 states could lose their funding to continue**

2) Elimination of the only federal funding for K-12 language learning

3) The chance to provide American students with a global perspective and cultural competencies

According to ACTFL, only 18.5% of students across the country take a language

Twenty out of twenty-five industrialized countries start teaching world languages in grades K-5 Twenty-one of the thirty-one countries in the European Union require nine years of language study.

Congressman Holt Introduces Language

Legislation“HR 1994: Excellence and Innovation in Language

Learning Act”

Sponsor: Representative

Rush Holt (D-NJ-12)

Cosponsors: Representatives Russ Carnahan (D-MO-03), Judy Chu (D-CA-32), Gregory Meeks (D-NY-06), Jared Polis (D-CO-02), Paul Tonko (D-NY-21)

Rep. Holt (D-NJ-12) introduces H.R. 1994 “Excellence and Innovation in Language Learning Act” and in conjunction with Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduces “Foreign Language Education Partnership Program Act”, H.R. 1966/S. 1015, to advance the language learning agenda

Republicans, led by Education and Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN-02) and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA-52), eliminate the authorization for foreign language programs

Federal: Creates a cross agency federal role that mandates partnerships between the Departments of Defense, State, and Education along with the intelligence agencies

State: Establishes a significant state role to:•Designate state language coordinators to create and execute a plan to encourage every graduate proficient in two languages; •Creates way for states to share best practices

Local: Calls for articulated language pathways starting in the early grades including high quality dual immersion programs

Ensures American students become globally competitive by providing them with access to high-quality world language instruction starting in the

early grades.

Envisioning the Future of Language Education in the

U.S.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, under the leadership of Senators Harkin (D-IA) and Enzi (R-WY), has passed a bipartisan ESEA bill out of committee

Before passage out of the committee, Senator Casey (D-PA) added an amendment to the final bill restoring funding for foreign languages

Cosponsored by Sen. Murray (D-WA), Mikulski (D-MD), & Merkley (D-OR)

Up to $500 million in competitive grants for high need schools for:

ArtsCivics and governmentEconomicsEnvironmental educationFinancial literacyForeign languagesGeographyHealth educationHistoryPhysical educationSocial studies

Priority given to applications which implement an interdisciplinary approach, by one or more of the following subjects is combined with reading, English, language arts, science, mathematics instruction and provide expanded learning time in order to increase access to covered subjects.

What does the future look like?

Coordinating educators with State and Defense Departments, Intelligence agencies, and the business community to develop language pathways

Disseminating research about the benefits of language learning on student achievement

Investing in programs that enable students to graduate linguistically proficient and culturally competent

Honoring students heritage language in support of biliteracy

Policymakers and elected officials

Grasstops: Stateleaders with networks

Grassroots:

and parentslanguage educators

Team Leader: Todd Bowen

State Leaders: Kathleen Priceman, Andy Hendrickson, Ignacio Gamboa, Samantha Godden-Chmielowiz, and Jerry Packard

Key Legislators: Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL-13), Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL-02)

Team Leader: Duarte Silva

State Leaders: Lorraine D’Ambruoso, Norman Leonard, Nicole Naditz

Key Legislators: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Rep. George Miller (D-CA-07), Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA-52), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-08), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-09), Rep. Lucille Royball-Allard (D-CA-34)

Team Leader: Leslie Baldwin

State Leaders: Caroline Kelly, Mary Lynn Redmond, Ken Stewart, Karen Tharrington

Key Legislators: Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC), Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05)

Existing Teams

Key States

“Whatever you may be thinking when you apply for a job today, you can be sure the employer is asking this: Can this person add value every hour, every day — more than a worker in India, a robot or a computer? Can he or she help my company adapt by not only doing the job today but also reinventing the job for tomorrow? And can he or she adapt with all the change, so my company can adapt and export more into the fastest-growing global markets? In today’s hyperconnected world, more and more companies cannot and will not hire people who don’t fulfill those criteria.” – Tom Friedman, July 2011