Currently the Heritage Academy Mesa (HAM) campus offers Spanish and French for foreign language credits. While scholars can learn another foreign language through college courses with Rio Salado or Mesa Community College, these courses will be credited as a general elective instead of a foreign language credit with HAM.

For scholars with learning disabilities such as Dyslexia (affecting 1 in 5 scholars), learning a foreign language can be extremely difficult. They struggle reading and writing their native language so having to read and write a completely different language hurts their self-esteem and confidence which affects their performance in other subjects. 

Studies have shown the best foreign language a dyslexic scholar can learn is American Sign Language (ASL) because it is not a written language, but rather a kinetic language. Unfortunately, ASL is only offered at the Heritage Gateway Campus.

By opening foreign language credits to include approved college courses from Rio Salado or Mesa Community College, scholars with dyslexia can find success and consequently become more confident in their abilities and their studies. The expansion of the foreign language credits would also open the doors to scholars becoming more internationally relavent, being able to connect to other cultures and opening a wider world of learning. When scholars are interested in the subjects they study, their chance of success is greatly increased.

The next Heritage Governing Board meeting is June 3, 2025. Please sign this petition if you are interested in adopting this new policy and opening the world to our scholars.