BILINGUAL EDUCATION -- IS IT LEGALLY DISCRIMINATORY?

[Kate Menken]

This begs the question, why do those in the legislature feel they are in the
best position to determine if bilingual education is effective?
--Kate Menken
 

On 10/21/08 5:52 PM, "Harold Schiffman" <hfsclpp at gmail.com> wrote:

> BILINGUAL EDUCATION -- IS IT LEGALLY DISCRIMINATORY? -- 9.30.08
> 
>   BILINGUAL EDUCATION -- IS IT LEGALLY DISCRIMINATORY? -- 9.30.08
> 
> Blogging politics, elections and the Capitol with the Austin bureau
> 
> September 29, 2008
> 
> Bilingual ed opinion could have major impact
> 
> A bilingual education issue headed for Texas Attorney General Greg
> Abbott could blow up the public education budget
> or force state lawmakers to decide if they want multiple bilingual
> education programs - or none.
> And that's exactly what State Board of Education member David Bradley,
> R-Beaumont, had in mind when he asked
> board Chairman Don McLeroy, R-Bryan, Monday to request the attorney
> general's opinion.
> When it comes to bilingual education programs, the state of Texas only
> accommodates Spanish-speaking students.
> But state law requires that public school districts "shall offer a
> bilingual education or special language program" if they
> enroll at least 20 students of limited English proficiency in any
> language classification in the same grade level.
> State education officials say dozens of foreign languages would
> qualify for bilingual education under a strict interpretation
> https://webmail.unt.edu/OWA/?ae=Item&t=IPM.Note&id=RgAAAABnOoJu...b9BrIAAAAJ&a
> ttid0=EAA1JU%2fXwmvySKVaasJ18G%2fB&attcnt=1&a=Print
> (1 of 2) [10/3/2008 6:44:22 PM]
> FW: BILINGUAL EDUCATION -- IS IT LEGALLY DISCRIMINATORY? -- 9.30.08
> of the law.
> In Texas last year, more than 14,000 school children spoke Vietnamese.
> Other popular foreign languages included:
> Urdu (national language of Pakistan), 3,627 students; Arabic, 3,594
> students; Korean, 3,195 students; and
> Mandarin Chinese, 2,054 students.
> Last year, Texas enrolled 775,432 students considered limited English
> proficient - with more than 711,000 Spanish-
> speaking students.
> The attorney general will be asked whether Texas must adopt textbooks,
> assessments and teacher certification programs
> to provide equal opportunity for all languages that meet the
> requirements of the state education code.
> Bradley believes the attorney general has no choice but to produce an
> opinion that follows the law. And it would cost
> millions of dollars to comply.
> "The Legislature will have to decide - do we want to do bilingual
> education in Texas - because it's all or none," Bradley
> said. "Do we need to develop these massive curriculums and textbooks
> and assessments for all foreign languages and not
> be discriminating for doing it in Spanish?"
> Vietnamese families could press a discrimination suit, he suggested,
> but they have not done so "because those parents
> want their children taught in English."
> Bradley speculated, "At the end of the day, I think we offer no
> bilingual education ... Do you want to use bilingual
> education, or do you want to use immersion? The Legislature has to
> make a decision."
> The number of limited English proficient students is growing by big
> numbers in Texas - jumping from 570,453 in 2000-01
> to more than 775,000 last year.
> "The Legislature has to determine what is the most effective route to
> accomplish English proficiency," said State Board
> of Education member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond.
> Here is a section in the education code that Bradley wants the
> attorney general to address:
> Continue reading "Bilingual ed opinion could have major impact"
> Posted by Gary Scharrer at 05:29 PM in Public education | Comments (1)
> 
> 
> https://webmail.unt.edu/OWA/?ae=Item&t=IPM.Note&id=RgAAAABnOoJu...b9BrIAAAAJ&a
> ttid0=EAA1JU%2fXwmvySKVaasJ18G%2fB&attcnt=1&a=Print
> (2 of 2) [10/3/2008 6:44:22 PM]
> 
>