FYI: Unz efforts (and reaction) to put anti-bilingual education initiative on Massachusetts ballot

[Scott McGinnis]

-----Original Message-----
From: FUHRIG ANNE MARIE [mailto:AFUHRIG at isbe.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 8:34 AM
To: 'Scott McGinnis'
> From: 	FUHRIG ANNE MARIE
> Sent:	Tuesday, August 07, 2001 2:57 PM
> Subject:	Legislative Limit Needed
>
>
http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/08/03/bilingual.education.ap/ind
ex.html

>
> Friends,
> Please examine this story and think about a legislative counter effort to
> declare ballot initiatives unconstitutional
> when they concern a minority. There are years of thoughtful legislating
> that would be undone if this new effort would succeed. There must be a
> legislative way of limiting ballot initiatives to majority constitutional
> issues or questions of public safety.
>
> If California and Arizona have improved academic learning through Mr. Unz'
> initiatives, I'll gladly stand corrected.
> I suspect that, overall, they have instead dismantled functioning systems
> that had served imigrants' acquisition of the academic language well.
> Only this key to a complete education can assure full functioning in our
> society.  This touches on all of our self-interest because the academic
> preparation of the next generation of fellow citizens is at stake and
> their salaries will have to fund our social security.
>
> The hipe with which the past two Unz campaigns were conducted can only
> bring about one more short-sighted decision that will in the long run lead
> to diminished wealth. Allow me to challenge the reader to put a stop to
> this with legislation that limits the range of issues open to ballot
> initiatives.
>
> Anne Marie Fuhrig, Ph.D.
> Assessment Division, E-216
> 100 North First Street
> Illinois State Board of Education
> Springfield, Illinois 62777-0001
>
> Phone: 217/782-4823  Fax: 217/782-6097
> website: http://www.isbe.state.il.us/isat/IMAGE.htm
> (frequent users may need to "refresh" or empty "cache" in order to
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>
>
>
>