"We are putting our children at a disadvantage," said Thekla Fall, a retired Pittsburgh language supervisor and a leader in the campaign to require language study. She berated board members for "talking out of both sides of their faces," dropping the language requirement while setting more rigorous standards in other subjects.
Former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, who chairs Strong American Schools, a school-improvement group, said language ability was a key to the future.
"We are in global competition for jobs," said Romer, a past Los Angeles school superintendent. "Most graduates from the high school systems throughout the world have two languages at least. That's the competition our graduates are going to face."
The board's move leaves Pennsylvania behind New Jersey, where all students must study a language through eighth grade, and next year's graduates must have passed one year in high school. New Jersey is one of only five states with a language graduation requirement for all students.
Pennsylvania does not require students to take any languages, but requires districts to offer at least two languages in grades seven through 12, with a four-year sequence of at least one. How many students take them depends largely on the district. Wealthy and high-achieving districts where most students go on to college offer more languages and graduate more students with multiple years. Poorer districts generally offer fewer courses, and many students don't take them.
Some districts set their own graduation policies that require languages.
Philadelphia students must pass two years of a language, but the offerings are meager. Nearly two-thirds of the district's 53 regular high schools do not offer three or more years of any language.
While he supports more language instruction statewide, Karl Girton, the state board's chairman, said requiring students to reach a low intermediate level of language ability would be too costly.
