District Officially Announces Shelving Of Rosetta Stone

In letter posted on the school district's website, the schools administration has officially announced that the elementary schools World Language program will kick off the new year with human teachers instead of computer software.

Rosetta Stone, the computer language-learning software put in place last year for the elementary schools World Language program, has been scrapped, according to a letter from MaryJane Garibay, district curriculum director.

Instead, the administration has hired teachers to run weekly Spanish-language instruction for the district's four elementary schools.

The Board of Education and school administrators at board meetings , but Garibay's letter is the first public announcement to parents.

"As we prepare for the commencement of the 2012-2013 school year, we are very excited to reinstate weekly, face-to-face Spanish instruction for all of our elementary students," the letter says.

Rosetta Stone will continue to be used for the district's English as a Second Language, the letter says.

"Looking back, we value the learning experiences our students had while using this program,'' Garibay says in the letter. "However, moving forward, we believe that the instruction of Spanish by a classroom teacher provides a more solid foundation for our overall K-12 World Language Program."