Gov. Gregoire, schools superintendent join president of Mexico in launching online-learning program

For Immediate Release: May 18, 2005

OLYMPIA � May 17, 2005 � Gov. Christine Gregoire and Terry Bergeson, state superintendent of public instruction, yesterday joined Mexico�s President Vicente Fox and others in launching a web site and online resources that will allow 55,000 Latino students in Washington to take school classes online in Spanish.

The curriculum, which will include basic literacy and high-school-level subject matter that can apply toward graduation, has been produced in Spanish by the government of Mexico. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction will ensure the curriculum meets the state�s learning standards. The materials will be offered to all Washington school districts and other educational-service agencies through a portal called Washington CONVEyT, which will be hosted and maintained by the Yakima School District and accessible via the Internet statewide.

Yesterday�s ceremony to inaugurate the portal took place via a teleconference involving participants in Mexico, Olympia, Yakima and Wisconsin. In addition to Gregoire, Bergeson and Fox, participants included Yakima School District Superintendent Benjamin A. Soria, Mexican Consul Jorge Madrazo, Rep. Phyllis Kenney, and two officials from Wisconsin, where a similar Spanish-language online-learning program is being launched.

�It is always a great day when we make more learning opportunities available to our students and community members,� Gregoire said. �I am especially thankful that our nations have come together to work collaboratively on this endeavor.�

The governor said more than 12 percent of Washington�s student population is Hispanic, adding, �The web site will bring a needed resource to our high school students and community.�

�Only through education can we prepare students to face the realities of the 21st century workforce,� Gregoire said. �And only through education can we understand and appreciate the similarities and differences of our cultures.�

Bergeson said the Spanish-language web portal would allow Latino students in Washington to make stronger academic gains, using materials in their own language, while they continue toward fluency in English. �No longer will language barriers be an impediment to student learning,� she said.

Bergeson lauded the Yakima School District for hosting the new online-curriculum portal and for creating Plazas Comunitarias, a facility where students can access computers and other support in using the web portal. �I know Yakima will lead the way in showing other districts throughout our state the wealth of opportunities the site offers to students learning English as a second language.� Other school districts in Washington will be able to access the portal and its resources at no cost.

She also noted that the web site will help many English-speaking students who want to learn Spanish. �Just as important,� she added, �it will help advance the education of many Hispanic adults in our state. The possibilities for the site�s use are limited only by our imaginations.�

The web address is http://washingtonst.conevyt.org.mx