Princeton Public Schools (PPS)

Community Park (CP) Dual Language Immersion Program (DLI)

Science Lab Instruction - Grades K, 1, 2 - 2016-2017
The DLI program was launched in 2015, despite not being fully staffed, and with the absence of state certification for the
bilingual teachers. These concerns came to light when a parent received a tip: unlike traditional (non-DLI) classes, DLI students
(two classes each in grades K and 1) were not getting weekly science lab, a "special" that is standard throughout Princeton Public
Schools (PPS). The reason given by the Steve Cochrane, Superintendent, Priscilla Russel, World Language, ESL Bilingual
Supervisor, Dineen Gruchacz, Principal, and Betsy Baglio, DLI Parent Liaison and member of the Board of Education, was that
science had to be taught in Spanish in order to fit the 50/50 DLI model followed by CP. Since the DLI program did not have a
Spanish-speaking science teacher, science lab was removed and parents were never informed. Students lost science lab
instruction for at least four months.
Last year's timeline can be found here: http://cpdli.weebly.com/dli-program.html This information was on Blogger until someone
contacted Google and filed a complaint, resulting in the blog being taken down. The blog never violated the terms of service but
attempts to have it reinstated were in vain.

9/8/16 First "Cafecito" - a regular meeting for parents of

DLI students - with Priscilla Russel, World Language, ESL
Bilingual Supervisor; Dineen Gruchacz, Principal, CP; Betsy
Baglio, member of the Princeton Public Schools Board of
Education and DLI Parent Coordinator.
In addressing curriculum, Ms. Russel explained that the
science lab will be taught by a bilingual classroom aide, under
the supervision of Eddie Cohen, Science Supervisor.
When queried by a parent how this is being rolled out, if the
aide is a science teacher (she is not) and if this science lab
instruction equal to the science lab instruction that traditional
K-5 classes receive throughout the district (from experienced
science teachers), Ms. Russel interrupted and said, "We've
been trying to get a bilingual science specialist for TWO
YEARS, (PARENT NAME). Everyone who was at these cafecito
meetings know that! As far as equal instruction, YES. In fact it
might even be better."
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09/7/16 Beginning of the school year, and the second year

of the DLI program, which is now comprised of grades
K, 1 and 2.
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9/13/16 On the PPS district website, the science teacher

for CP, who does not speak Spanish, is no longer listed. He is
supposed to be on leave through September. Popular and
experienced, many children feel his absence. On the CP
website it only says "Science" beside his name.
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CONTEXT: Last year the science teacher's title was changed
to "CP Engineering Lab Teacher" when, in the middle of the
2015-16 school year, Mr. Cohen replaced the established
curriculum with "Engineering is Elementary" aka EiE, as a pilot
program for grades K-2 at CP. Parents were told the science
teacher was teaching EiE, in English, once a week. This was in
response to a handful of DLI parents advocating for science
lab instruction. Since it was called "engineering", instead of
"science", it could be taught in English and still "fit" the 50/50
model.
_______________
The bilingual classroom aide mentioned at the "Cafecito" is
listed on the CP website as "Science Teacher/Bilingual
Instructional Assistant." Nothing against this educator,
however there is no mention of science in her LinkedIn profile.
For the DLI students, several of whom are native speakers
from low-income families, PPS has enlisted a bilingual
instructional assistant with no science background to teach
the science lab special. Traditional classes receive their
science lab special from a science teacher.
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