| "ineffectiveness" of bilingual education |
2/12/07 6:45 PM |
| Author:
Oscar Medina
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I truly do not understand where, other than from the English-only propaganda machine, people got the notion that bilingual education is ineffective. National and international research has proven just the opposite for decades. I won't even bother listing it. But I will point out the difficulties that bilingual programs have to contend with.
First, only until recently did the State Board of Education adopt standards for English Language Development, and they did so only because they were forced through legislation. Currently, there are no state-adopted ELD standards based instructional materials for K-8. Those districts that have them are pulling some slick sleight of hand with categorical funds that can't legally be spent that way. The rest of schools have to make do without or create their own curriculum and instructional materials. Not many have the passion (or compassion) to do that. This is true for bilingual and English-only programs alike.
Because the State Board follows an English-only approach, there are no state-adopted core content materials in K-8 other than language arts. There is nothing in mathematics, science, or social science as grade-level core content instructional materials in Spanish. Those schools that continue to implement bilingual programs do so while facing considerable challenges and media opposition. Why do you think they do it? ...because they know that it's the best way to educate kids.
Teachers cost exactly the same whether they teach in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, etc. The books, if they were available, cost exactly the same. Schools receive categorical funds (supplemental monies) regardless of what program they implement. In short, bilingual education costs exactly the same as English-only instruction. The problem is lack of support.
Bilingual programs do not have the same access to textbooks, professional development for teachers, assessment, etc. that English-only programs have. There are fewer and fewer bilingually credentialed teachers. It's not the lack of money that is the issue; it's a lack of options for what the money buys.
Posted as a reply to:
English was my second language by Eric Guerra
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