Membership:

The German Languages School Conference is composed of private German language schools in the United States. These schools vote biennially for the Trustees at the annual GLSC Conference. Schools are assessed an annual membership fee based on their enrollment.

Philosophy:

Members of the German-speaking community in the United States believe that they can best express their own special collective, intergenerational and cultural continuity by maintaining their language and social and cultural habits. They believe they can achieve these goals by establishing their own German language schools. While the main function of these schools is the task of teaching the German language and culture, they also play an important sociological role by constituting a microcosm in the larger society. These schools, since they are created as the expressions of a community, serve as places of Gemeinschaft and provide meaning, direction and identity to its members. Because of their ability to network, the schools represent bridging organizations between their new (US) and old culture (German-speaking countries of Europe). The members of the German-speaking community and background promote, via their schools, a positive image of the values and beliefs of their special heritage and contribute a mood of good-will to the acceptance in their adopted country.

Organization:

Members of the German Language Schools Conference (GLSC)

• are incorporated
• rent their teaching locations
• charge tuition
• are administered and supported by parents through various activities
• have elected board members
• aim to hire the most qualified, professional and experienced teachers with native or near-native language skills
• engage in advertising for their services
• serve as feeder schools to high schools and university German programs
• carry proper insurance

Teacher Development:

The majority of teachers at the member schools are also employed at local schools, colleges or universities, which provide professional development on a regular basis. The teachers also participate in workshops and conferences offered by professional language organizations nationwide and in specific conferences of the individual member schools Each year the GLSC also provides staff development conferences to its members. Teachers are encouraged to join the American Association of Teachers (AATG) and other professional organizations and to avail themselves of the services of the AATG, the Goethe Institute and the Fachberater.

Teaching Materials:

The members of the GLSC research and select the most up-to-date teaching materials, relevant to their specific teaching situations, from German-speaking countries, the US and other sources.

Test Preparation:

The GLSC schools prepare their students for many tests:

• AATG National High School Examinations
• German Achievement Test
• Advanced Placement Test in German
• SAT II Test
• ZDP-8 Test
• Sprachdiplom I and II
• other local or national examinations