Bilingual Research Journal suspended by the NABE Board

[Wayne Wright]

Dear Colleagues:

On Sunday, April 9th, the incoming editors of the Bilingual Research Journal (BRJ) (Co-Editors Dr. Terrence G. Wiley and Dr. Alfredo J. Artiles of Arizona State University, and Dr. Wayne E. Wright, Book Review Editor, of the University of Texas, San Antonio) received notice from NABE Board President, Pedro Ruiz, that "The NABE board voted this weekend to discontinue the BRJ." The incoming editors were informed that they had been "released" from the contract they had just signed with NABE a few months earlier. While the e-mail from Pres. Ruiz made reference to starting the BRJ up again "sometime in the future," no specific time frame is given.

Outgoing Co-Editor, Dr. Josue Gonzalez, has sent out an e-mail to all authors whose papers were under review, to inform them of the bad news, and to let them know that they will need to find alternative publication outlets for their research.

The current and incoming editorial teams and staff are deeply saddened and frustrated by this decision made by the remaining NABE Board members.  A great deal of work had gone into ensuring a smooth transition, and the incoming editorial team had already spent numerous hours planning for the successful future of the BRJ.

Not only has the NABE Board failed to honor their contract with the in-coming editorial team but also with Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., which was positioned to aggressively market the journal to elevate its status and make it a profitable venture for NABE.

The BRJ has been serving the organization and the field for 30 years, providing a substantial body of scholarship that has led to significant advancements in providing quality instruction to English language learners. In addition, the BRJ has been crucial to the careers of young scholars and researchers conducting much needed research in the field of bilingual education. Over the years, BRJ editors and volunteer reviewers have provided substantial mentoring and assistance to new authors in helping them conduct and publish quality research. The abrupt suspension of the journal is of serious concern to those of us in the research community. Particularly for those scholars whose manuscripts were under review, the NABE Board's decision could seriously impact these scholars' prospects for job incentives, promotion, and tenure, and merit reviews.

For these reasons, we send you this update with regret and concern.

Sincerely,

Terrence G. Wiley, Ph.D.
Director and Professor
Division of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies;
Arizona State University, Main Campus
P.O. Box 872411; Tempe, AZ 85287-2411
Co-Editor, Journal of Language Identity and Education
http://coe.asu.edu/elps/

Alfredo J. Artiles, Ph.D.
Professor
Arizona State University
Division of Curriculum & Instruction
P.O. Box 2011, Farmer Education Bldg. ED 244B
Tempe, AZ 85287-2011
alfredo.artiles at asu.edu
http://coe.asu.edu/artiles
Phone: (480) 965-6156
Fax: (480) 965-4942

Wayne E. Wright, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies
College of Education and Human Development
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249
wayne.wright at utsa.edu
http://bbl.utsa.edu/faculty/Wayne_Wright.htm 
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