Deleware parents push for new Mandarin immersion charter

Note that the Red Clay Consolidated School District has had a Mandarin immersion program for several years, but has chosen to phase it out due to low enrollment, according to the District. It appears enough parents want to continue to have Mandarin immersion available in the district that they’re trying to get a charter school opened now. The charter would be called New Castle Language School. The school the program had been in is about 20% Asian-American, compared with 4.3% for students in Deleware schools as a whole.

Some links about the closure:

https://www.change.org/p/red-clay-school-district-do-not-cancel-mandarin-immersion

https://sites.google.com/redclayschools.com/mandarin/home?pli=1

Public calls for Red Clay Mandarin immersion charter

Public Square Live, JAREK RUTZ, Aug. 18, 2022

Several members of the public called Wednesday night for the Red Clay Consolidated School District to help create a Mandarin immersion charter school in New Castle County.

During Red Clay’s monthly board meeting, proponents said students would spend about half the day in English-speaking classrooms and the other half in classrooms where the instructor exclusively uses Mandarin.

Kelli Carrubba, a mother of two students in Red Clay, brought the topic up, saying that there are many students in the district that would benefit from the Mandarin immersion charter. 

According to her, parents have already organized a non-profit and a board for the “New Castle Language School,” and a Facebook page of 118 members who are in support of the new building. 

The page was created on March 19, 2021 with the mission of “developing globally-minded citizens who have the knowledge and skills to affect positive change in our world.”

Please read more here.