Providing Options in Bilingual Education

A crisis looms for 1.7 million children in the state of California. These children enter school speaking a language other than English. Parents of these children want them to learn English, be academically successful and become productive citizens.

Substantial research in the area of second language acquisition, (Berman & Weiler Report, California Legislature 1992; Ramirez Study, U.S. Department of Education, 1991) has found that successful programs for language-minority students must include: daily English as a second language instruction; rigorous subject-matter teaching such as math, social studies and science in the student’s first language, and the development of literacy in the first language. Students who participate in such programs not only become English speakers but are able to transfer what they have learned in their first language into English. AB 2026 would require such programs in California.

“The California Language Minority Education Act” will provide schools with options to provide quality instructional programs. Depending on the student population, languages of the students, and the number of qualified bilingual teachers and Language Development Specialist teachers at each site, schools will select the appropriate organizational model to best meet the needs of all students.

I urge all voters who want a quality education for California’s limited-English students to ask Gov. Pete Wilson to support AB 2026. The 1.7 million future taxpayers deserve this educational opportunity.

ANA INFANTE, President, South Bay chapter California Assn. for Bilingual Education