Proposal to Cut World Language Graduation Requirement Shelved

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After much debate in Friday’s meeting, Tennessee State Board of Education Chairman Robert Ebey chose to withdraw his motion that would have decreased the world language credits required for high school students to graduate from two to one.

The item is likely to come up again in the future, but with added language that allows students and their parents/guardians to sign a waiver to opt out of taking two credits of a foreign language to graduate. Each district’s superintendent would accept the waivers.

Student Testimony

Early in the board’s meeting, a handful of speakers, mostly high school or college students, expressed their disapproval of the item.

Lexi Rodriguez Alvidrez said that taking foreign language courses helped her embrace her heritage.

“Before my second world language class, I hesitated to say my name correctly,” she said. “Growing up in a predominantly English-speaking area, I felt a disconnect from my heritage. After all, despite having bilingual parents, I lacked the tools to truly communicate with my own grandparents.”

Rodriguez Alvidrez said that being required to take two world language credits helped her develop the skills needed to tell her grandparents in their native language that she loved them. She called the graduation requirements “Not a bureaucratic hurdle, but a bridge to identity and family.”

She also raised a question that other board members echoed when discussing the item later in the meeting: would removing this requirement create a new barrier to higher education? Many higher education institutions, including the University of Memphis, require prospective enrollees to take at least two years of a foreign language class in high school.

“Removing the language mandates would deny many students, particularly those in under-resourced areas, the chance to develop these competitive skills,” she said.

Another student told the board it is their responsibility to hold the state to a higher standard than the bare minimum when it comes to preparing students for life outside of school.

“When we require only one level of world language, we send a message, whether intended or not,” she said. “We tell students that surface-level knowledge is enough, that sustained effort is unnecessary, and that mastery is optional. I do not believe that message reflects the standards we hold for education in this state.”

Eby’s Rebuttal

When the board began its discussion later in the meeting, Eby began by defending his item against what he said were emails he received from concerned students. He mused about his family; his daughter being a veterinary missionary, his son having dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico, and about how four of his six grandchildren are being raised in a bilingual environment.

“I have no biases against foreign languages,” Eby said. “I look at what’s important for each individual student.”

Eby said post-secondary educational success is defined differently now than it was “15 or 25 years ago,” arguing the state now offers career and technical education (CTE) classes, work-based learning opportunities where students can spend up to half of a school day outside of class in a work environment, dual enrollment, and more.

He also pointed out that 26 states do not require students to take world language classes for a high school diploma, and in the other 24 states, world language classes are provided “as an option.”

“I really appreciate the engagement we've had (from) our students,” Eby said. “I've probably (received) at least 100 emails from students, maybe more than that. You represent one-tenth of 1 percent of the million students that we represent across the state. So, we have to look at what's best for all students.”

Board Discussion

Once the board discussion was underway, it became clear some members had doubts.

Board Member Krissi McInturff told the other members that she, like Eby, received emails expressing strong resistance to the measure, but she said the opposition came from not just “world language teachers” but from people with a wide variety of backgrounds.

“As I read, not only the words within the emails but also considered who was writing them, a very different picture emerged,” McInturff said. “Of the more than 75 emails reviewed, only 12 were from world language teachers. Several others came from educators in different fields.”

McInturff says her remaining correspondents represented a wide cross-section of stakeholders, high school and college students, parents, grandparents, health care professionals, including an occupational therapist, various business leaders, higher education faculty members, school district leaders, several registered nurses, and a medical doctor.

“This overwhelming imbalance makes clear that concern about the proposed reduction is not confined to a single professional group, but instead reflects a broad, community-wide commitment to preserving meaningful opportunities for students,” McInturff said.

Board Member Warren Wells said he enjoyed the debate around the subject but that he believed Eby was “on the right side of this.” However, his constituents are not in favor of the measure, and therefore, he felt he needed to represent their wishes.

“I say it again, Mr. Chairman, I respect you so much,” Wells said. “I consider you one of my great friends, and I hate to disagree with you on this.”

The Board’s Decision

The discussion concluded with Eby rescinding his motion, but he stated he wanted the board’s staff to assist with drafting a new resolution that would allow students to opt out of taking two full years of a foreign language by using a waiver that they and their parents or guardians can sign that would be accepted by all superintendents in the state. He said he also wanted it to be clear that the diplomas the students who would use those waivers receive would be of equal value and no less than those who didn’t use a waiver.

There is no timetable for the matter to be resumed.