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Don’t lose North’s German program

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By Susan Weir, Joe Scott, Andrea Trimble, Barb Lipnick and Megan Preciado | Saturday, April 19, 2008 6:26 PM CDT | () comments

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

— Pastor Martin Niemoeller

We are French, Latin and Spanish language teachers, but would like to speak out for German.

We are saddened by the news that North High School is suspending its German program. It is an unsettling precedent that must not go unheeded. When programs are pulled, they generally do not come back. The push for Davenport schools to be the same leads me to wonder if German will be pulled from West and Central.

Davenport has a rich German history: from its settlers to its German Heritage Center which stands proudly at the foot of the Centennial Bridge. Davenport has a longstanding relationship with its German sister city, Kaiserslautern. Many students from our district have traveled to or hosted students from this beautiful city.

We encourage our colleagues and Davenport Community School District students past and present to speak out for the German program in the Davenport district starting with North High School’s and our loss.

Susan Weir, French

Joe Scott, Latin

Andrea Trimble, Spanish

Barb Lipnick, Spanish

Megan Preciado, Spanish