Testimony: Top colleges don’t accept online foreign language classes

Brian Potter, a teacher and father of two from Potlatch, said his son, a top student, couldn’t apply to Dartmouth or Stanford for college because they wouldn’t accept online foreign language classes - which is all Potlatch offers. His son even took two online PE courses, he said, drawing some laughter. He said, “Is it really student centered to remove effective educators and replace them with clickers and laptops? Is this the new paradigm we want?”

Carol Wallace, who works with poor and homeless students in Lewiston, told lawmakers, “Lewiston’s fourth, fifth and sixth grades average 25 students each.” Of several will have disabilities, some may be learning English, and one may be homeless, she said.

Penni Cyr, a teacher from Moscow, said, “Online classes are important - we have students in Moscow who take them, but it should remain a choice. It should not be imposed on the student and the parent.” She said students tell her they take online classes because they’re easier, and in-person teachers demand more of them. “Some teachers in northern Idaho currently receive compensation below Idaho’s poverty level,” she said.