California Set To Let Public Schools Teach Primarily In Spanish

[Brian4Liberty]

California Set To Let Public Schools Teach Primarily In Spanish
By Blake Neff - 11/06/2016

California isn’t even close to a swing state in the 2016 presidential election, but that doesn’t mean nothing is at stake for voters in the nation’s largest state.

After Tuesday’s vote, hundreds of thousands of California schoolchildren may start attending classes primarily en español, thanks to a voter referendum that would repeal the requirement that schools teach primarily in English.

California’s Proposition 58 would repeal Proposition 227, a measure that easily passed nearly two decades ago, in 1998. Proposition 227 required all public schools in the state teach “overwhelmingly” in English, with limited-English proficiency (LEP) students transitioning to fully English classes as quickly as possible.

When passed, Proposition 227 overthrew the previous norm of bilingual education. The stated intent of bilingual education is to keep non-English speakers from falling behind academically by primarily teaching in their native language, and only gradually transitioning them over several years into English instruction.

Such education was widespread in California prior to 1998, thanks to the state’s large Hispanic immigration population, but often its stated intent fell far short of reality. In numerous schools, students made very little progress in learning English and reached middle school or high school while still lacking fluency.

In 1996, dozens of students at Ninth Street School in Los Angeles were yanked from class by their parents in protest over their near-total failure to acquire English despite years of lessons. The parents demanded that their students be placed in more all-English classes in order to speed their assimilation into the English-speaking mainstream.

Opponents of Proposition 227 warned that it would destroy the academic viability of English-learning students, but if anything the opposite ended up being the case. In the town of Oceanside, administrators embraced English immersion, and found that students’ performance on state reading tests surged dramatically in just a few years. In the neighboring town of Vista, which was otherwise nearly identical, school officials fought hard to preserve bilingual education by liberally granting waivers from the law. Vista saw none of the academic gains Oceanside did, and after years of resistance, the city finally gave up and switched to full English immersion.

Across the state, the English proficiency of LEP students tripled in just a few years, and math scores rose as well.

But now, with California’s immigrant population higher than ever, the state is poised to reverse course.
...
More: http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/06/ca...ly-in-spanish/

[Tywysog Cymru]

I'm confused as to how this would work. Will there be separate schools for English and Spanish speakers?

[Brian4Liberty]

I'm confused as to how this would work. Will there be separate schools for English and Spanish speakers?

No. It would allow Spanish to be used in any class. It would allow Spanish speakers to have classes in Spanish only, and also it would help English speakers learn Spanish. Think of it as language justice, where conceivably public schools in California would teach everyone in both English and Spanish.

[Tywysog Cymru]

No. It would allow Spanish to be used in any class. It would allow Spanish speakers to have classes in Spanish only, and also it would help English speakers learn Spanish. Think of it as language justice, where conceivably public schools in California would teach everyone in both English and Spanish.

If I lived in California I'd definitely vote against that. I can't imagine how much time and resources would be used for this. The only situation where I would support something like this is for Native American/Inuit languages on reservations.

[dannno]

No. It would allow Spanish to be used in any class. It would allow Spanish speakers to have classes in Spanish only, and also it would help English speakers learn Spanish. Think of it as language justice, where conceivably public schools in California would teach everyone in both English and Spanish.

Are you sure about that?

The article seems to say that they would just be rolling back to the way things were before 1998.

I went to school in CA before 1998, and they had some bi-lingual classes. They called them ESL classes if I recall (English as a Second Language). Like ESL math, for example. The idea was that they wouldn't fall behind in math while they were learning english, but then it took them too long to learn english because they were taking all their classes except for english in spanish..

[John F Kennedy III]

Voting no.

[JK/SEA]

this should go nationwide, and include farsi, and mandarin....what fun..

[presence]

The language the public indoctrinators are speaking makes the notion of them stealing tax money to baby sit other people's kids no more or less illegitimate than it already is.

[Zippyjuan]

https://ballotpedia.org/California_P...ucation_(2016)

The California Non-English Languages Allowed in Public Education Act (Senate Bill 1174), also known as Proposition 58, will be on the California ballot as a legislatively referred state statute on November 8, 2016.[1]

A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of repealing most of the 1998 Proposition 227, the "English in Public Schools" Initiative, thus effectively allowing non-English languages to be used in public educational instruction.

A "no" vote is a vote against repealing most of the "English in Public Schools" Initiative, which was designed to prohibit non-English languages from being used in public schools.

Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-33) developed Proposition 58 as Senate Bill 1174.

Overview

English learning in California schools
Proposition 58 was designed by legislators to repeal the English-only immersion requirement and waiver provisions required by Proposition 227 of 1998. In English-only programs, students learn subjects from teachers who speak only in English. Proposition 227 required English learners to take one year of intensive English instruction before transitioning to English-only classes. [2]

As a legislative referral, Proposition 58 was voted on in the California Legislature. In the General Assembly, 53 legislators voted to place the measure on the ballot and 26 voted against doing so. In the Senate, 27 senators voted in support of the measure and eight voted against it.

Initiative design
Proposition 58 would no longer require English-only education for English learners. Schools would be allowed to utilize multiple programs, including bilingual education. In bilingual programs, students learn from teachers who speak both their native language and English. Furthermore, parental waivers would no longer be needed to take non-English-only classes. If requested by enough parents, schools would be required to offer specific English learner programs. School districts and county offices of education would ask for annual feedback on English learner programs from parents and community members.

Ballot summary
The long-form ballot summary is as follows:[2]

“
Preserves requirement that public schools ensure students become proficient in English.
Requires school districts to solicit parent and community input in developing language acquisition programs to ensure English acquisition as rapidly and effectively as possible.
Requires that school districts provide students with limited English proficiency the option to be taught English nearly all in English.
Authorizes school districts to establish dual-language immersion programs for both native and non-native English speakers.
Allows parents/legal guardians of students to select an available language acquisition program that best suits their child.[3]
”
The shorter ballot label summary is as follows:[2]

“
Preserves requirement that public schools ensure students obtain English language proficiency. Requires school districts to solicit parent/community input in developing language acquisition programs. Requires instruction to ensure English acquisition as rapidly and effectively as possible. Authorizes school districts to establish dual-language immersion programs for both native and non-native English speakers. Fiscal Impact: No notable fiscal effect on school districts or state government."

[Zippyjuan]

Double Post.

[oyarde]

Well , if the Californio's had me in command @ Rio San Gabriel on Jan . 8 , 1847 they would have won and California and New Mexico would not be part of the US and we would be blessed to have no california Senators .LOL

[Brian4Liberty]

Are you sure about that?

The article seems to say that they would just be rolling back to the way things were before 1998.

I went to school in CA before 1998, and they had some bi-lingual classes. They called them ESL classes if I recall (English as a Second Language). Like ESL math, for example. The idea was that they wouldn't fall behind in math while they were learning english, but then it took them too long to learn english because they were taking all their classes except for english in spanish..

PROPOSITION 58 ALSO EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS TO LEARN A SECOND LANGUAGE.

Proposition 58 removes barriers hurting students by discouraging schools from expanding multilingual education. Proposition 58 encourages school districts to provide instruction programs so native English speakers can become proficient in a second language:

• School districts must include in their annual K–12 Local Control and Accountability Plans programs giving English‐speaking students the opportunity to achieve proficiency in a second language. • District choices of non‐English languages must reflect input from parents, the community and the linguistic and financial resources of schools.
...
The world economy is changing rapidly. Today, technology allows even the smallest businesses to have a global reach. Students proficient in English and a second language will be more employable, start out earning higher wages, and make California's workforce better prepared to compete for jobs in the global economy.
...
http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/en/prop...-rebuttals.htm

Language classes (usually Latin, Spanish, French and German) have been available both before and after 1998, so this can not be about simple language classes. This would be about mandating that more languages be made available, and most likely expanding into immersion for English speaking students. In other words, instead of English speaking students only learning Spanish in Spanish class, they would be able to expand that to adding partial or full Spanish to other classes as well. Imagine a day taught half in English, half in Spanish (or Mandarin or Cantonese).

Think about the ramifications of this for teachers. It would probably result in requirements for teachers to bi- or multi-lingual. In essence, it's a left wing cultural justice initiate.

"Now there’s no more language oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the languages are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw..."

[DamianTV]

Population Replacement

[seapilot]

The irony is in most Latin American Countries people send their kids to Private English Speaking Schools if they can afford it. They know that their kids will have an advantage in a future career over those that learn in only Spanish or Portuguese.

[Brian4Liberty]

The irony is in most Latin American Countries people send their kids to Private English Speaking Schools if they can afford it. They know that their kids will have an advantage in a future career over those that learn in only Spanish or Portuguese.

There you go with your English privilege. Why do you hate brown people? /s

The people pushing this don't care about real world concerns and results. This is about forcing English only speakers to learn new languages. The irony here is that the left wants to do this to disadvantage and punish English only speakers, but the reality will be the opposite. It will be a step backwards for non-English speakers, who will no longer be immersed in English, and a step forward for people learning more languages.

[seapilot]

It passed. Aprende Espanol para todos!

[DamianTV]

Oh for $#@!'s sake.

[CPUd]

Let them teach in Spanish, and make Mexico pay for it.

[Brian4Liberty]

Another leftist social experiment, performed on real people, doomed to fail. At least a lot of English only kids will be able to speak Spanish (or Cantonese or Mandarin) after this is done.

[DamianTV]

I'm confused as to how this would work. Will there be separate schools for English and Spanish speakers?

As we have learned, its not separate schools, its just NO SCHOOLS FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS.