September 20, 2020

September 20, 2020

Meeting Agenda

Dual Language Advisory Council



  1. Welcome and assign someone to take notes
  2. Purpose of Council
    1. To create a sense of community and to provide an opportunity for dialogue to improve the Antioch Dual Language Program.
  3. Questions/Comments/Concerns
    1.   If the school is reopened full time (Oct 5th) and there are a few DLI program   students who will not be sent to school, what are the expectations for the DLI teachers? 
      1. Response: UCPS will reopen for K-5 students on 10/26/2020. DLI teachers will teach under Plan “A” or Plan “D”. 
    2. A huge THANK YOU to all of the DL teachers & assistants and the Antioch administrative team for working so hard to make this school year engaging for our kids.  The DL teachers have extra work with designing lessons in the target language and they have been amazing across the grades.  Thank you.
    3. I am concerned that English is being spoken in Gator Chats and Zooms. There is very limited opportunity to practice spoken Spanish, so we would like to see those sessions conducted in Spanish unless something is really not being understood.
      1. Response: Teachers will begin conducting Gator Chats twice per week and utilize the other two days for conversational Spanish skills with remote learners. If Gator Chats are not utilized for questions from students… teachers may eliminate these completely. Gator Chats will end on 10/26/2020.
    4. We are concerned about a lack of consistency, not just within the class but across the grade. Other 4th grade classes are doing an hour of live instruction for each subject. Some are dividing their lessons up into groups of level. Ex. kids who are weaker or stronger in a subject, so they can better serve them. As we role into middle school in the next year or so, they need to be on the same page as the English classes. 
      1. All classroom teachers have been encouraged to move toward “live” streaming of lessons. Teachers are in different places with their migration toward the new standard. 
    5. Could we brainstorm a better use of the meetings with Mrs. Zapata in grades 3-5?  Could they be all conversational with her asking questions and all kids taking turns answering?  This would require the kids to be in groups of 5-8 but her current schedule is difficult to remember because it varies daily/weekly.  It seems like a meaningful time to converse monthly would be better than weekly lessons that are often forgotten by students/parents.
      1. Mrs. Zapata will transition into a new role as a Virtual DLI Teacher for UCPS. Classes will begin on 10/26/2020 and she will spend the upcoming weeks preparing for this new role. Her current supplemental sessions will end on 9/25/2020. 
    6. Who will be teaching the virtual academy DL class?  Will virtual academy work for kids who are in DL and AIG?
      1. Response: The DLI Virtual teachers will be taken from the current DLI Co-Teacher pool. I cannot provide the specific names or current teaching locations of the teachers.