Tuesday’s letters: Computer science, Communication skills key

Tampa Bay Times, December 7, 2015
The Florida Senate is considering SB 468, which would mandate all high schools offer computer programming and provide foreign language credit for these courses. As an assistant professor of computer science at New College of Florida, I am troubled by this bill. I know of no research linking high school programming courses to success in computer science. In contrast, all research suggests that early exposure to foreign languages is vital.
If high schools train students with critical thinking skills and a solid foundation in mathematics, four years of college is plenty of time to teach the technical skills needed for success as software engineers. Additionally, technology companies now realize now the enormous value of employees having both technical and communication skills. Therefore, asking high schools to shift scarce resources to a token offering in computer programming seems misguided.
Before joining New College, I spent a decade in the technology industry. During this time, I often wished that my foreign language skills were stronger, but I never thought, “If only I had started programming one year earlier.”
Matthew Lepinski, Bradenton