Bilingual Program a Choice Issue

As a parent of a child at Dysinger School in Buena Park, I feel compelled to respond to recent controversy surrounding the school and the Centralia School District (“Bilingual Education Debate Heating Up,” Jan. 19).

I have had two children attend Dysinger School and . . . would put the education they have received from the teachers at Dysinger School up against any school, public or private.

I also do not believe the parents should be able to choose the teachers their children are going to have, barring some terrible personality conflict.

But my children were never in a bilingual class either. I don’t know if it would have made a difference, but I do know that I would have wanted to have the choice. Just as parents currently have the right to choose whether their children participate in drug education, the GATE program, sex education, special education, gang education, etc., the parents are asking only that they be given the right to choose if their child is to attend a classroom where the bilingual program is being used.

This right is currently given to LEP (Limited English Proficient) students but not to EP (English Proficient) students. The parents want the district to stop discriminating against one specific group. Since the district has failed to respond to their requests and instead has tried to chill opposition and brand the parents as bigots, the parents felt they have no choice left but to question the bilingual program itself.

The issue is not going to go away until the district gives the parents the right to choose whether their children are placed in a bilingual classroom.

The district board should remember that the parents are also voters and 1994 is closer than they realize.

MIKE COOK

Buena Park