Armenian Language credential in bill

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From the Burbank Leader, Published April 29, 2006

Language credential in bill

The Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday approved Assemblyman Dario
Frommer's legislation seeking to include the Armenian language in the
single-subject foreign language California Subject Examination for
Teachers. California has the largest Armenian population outside of
Armenia yet there is no program for teachers who want to be credentialed
in the Armenian language, said Frommer, a Democrat who represents Burbank
and Glendale. If the bill passes, it would better equip teachers in
districts with large Armenian populations and spur interested students to
study the Armenian language in high schools, colleges and universities, he
said.

The Glendale Unified School District reported that it had 3,904 English
language learners who speak Armenian primarily, making up 49% of the
district's total English language learner population.  Assembly Bill
2913's expansion of the test's single subject teaching credential to
include the Armenian language will permit high schools, colleges and
universities to offer the Armenian language as a course in the curriculum
and will guarantee that those courses will be taught by teachers
credentialed in Armenian.

The first Armenian test must be administered by Sept. 1, 2009, according
to the bill.

http://www.burbankleader.com/politics/story/44478p-67115c.html