District to offer sign language

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which includes Spanish, French and even Latin among its foreign-language courses, plans to add sign language to its curriculum for the upcoming school year.

Textbooks for signing classes are already on display at the district headquarters, and secondary curriculum director Fred Navarro said he hoped to formally submit the plan to the school board later this month.

“We’re looking to provide more options for our kids, sign language being one,” Navarro said. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could offer some other Pacific Rim languages, in addition to Spanish, French and Latin? I think there’s a desire to open up these opportunities for kids.”

So far, one instructor in Newport-Mesa ? Corona del Mar High School English teacher Tamara Smith ? has committed to teaching sign language classes this fall, Navarro said. Other classes would depend on available faculty.

The sign language class, if accepted by the school board, would count as a foreign language elective. The class could help break down barriers, according to Bob Metz, assistant superintendent of secondary education.

“I believe that sign language is important to learn, because we do have a part of our population that we need to communicate with that uses it,” he said. “You’re looking down the line at potential jobs.”