What's Next From Prop. 203?
A bulletin board inside Longview Elementary School speaks of living in two worlds where diversity shines on the education landscape. Hallways are bedecked with student artwork and assignments in Spanish and English. Near the door of one classroom, "Bienvenidos!" welcomes students making their way inside. In another room, Goosebumps books in Spanish litter desktops. As the passage of Proposition 203 begins to sink in, some educators in this minority-rich central Phoenix school, where 47 percent of students are in the process of learning the English language, wonder what the world in which they teach will look like next fall. That's when the bulk of bilingual education will cease to exist in Arizona schools, as dictated by the statewide initiative voters approved Nov. 7. In its place, students will be immersed in programs to help them learn English in a year. Throughout the central city, some are stunned that voters embraced the anti-bilingual movement nearly 2-to-1. Educators are participating in staff meetings to express their emotions. Parents, including those with English-speaking students learning Spanish, are sharing their disappointment with teachers. Even some students say they are disquieted. Yet not everyone is dismayed that retooling and transition are imminent. "Quite honestly, it ends the debate," said Roger Romero, superintendent of the Wilson Elementary School District, where kindergartners through third-graders are in bilingual classes. The rest are enrolled in English-as-a-second-language programs. "We need to roll up our sleeves, obey the law and do the job," Romero said. Glendale High School Principal Margaret Garcia-Dugan, a Proposition 203 advocate, described bilingual education as a failed program that prevents immigrant children from learning English. "At Glendale High, we get students who have been in the country for five to seven years, and they can't read and write in English or Spanish," said the co-chairwoman of the Maricopa County Proposition 203 Committee. None of Glendale Union High School District's nine high schools have bilingual education. They offer ESL programs to children who are not proficient in English. The same is true in the Alhambra Elementary School District in Phoenix. No matter educators' stance on Proposition 203, most admit that the ins and outs of the new policy still need to be ironed out. Many have more questions than answers. What happens to all the textbooks written in Spanish? Will districts under federal agreements that call for bilingual education be allowed to continue to teach primarily in Spanish? Will the teaching of cultural diversity suffer? "Language is such an important part of culture," said Anita Riehm, language acquisition director for the Osborn Elementary School District, which includes Longview. "We tell them (students) that we value you and your culture. But the underlying message (with Proposition 203) becomes, 'There's something about you that needs to be fixed.' That's sad." Even so, Osborn and other central Phoenix districts are making preliminary plans to ensure they comply with the law. They are reading every word of the initiative and hoping state education officials release guidelines that answer their lingering questions. Even educators in ESL-only districts have question marks. Bob Jones, superintendent of the Madison Elementary School District, where 10 percent of students are limited in their English, has heard rumors that these types of programs might be in for a facelift, too. In the Creighton Elementary School District, officials are wondering whether the popular dual language program, where English speakers learn Spanish and Spanish speakers learn English, will remain intact, for instance. "We will do what the law says, but we are unclear," said Tim Ham, spokesman of the district, where about half the students are new to English. "We're not sure if the spirit of the law includes that. This will force us to do some serious thinking." Paul Hanley, superintendent of the Isaac Elementary School District, is in the same quandary. The district, where 53 percent of the students know limited English, is unsure what to do with the $250,000 in Spanish textbooks bought this summer. And what about the 100 or so classroom aides who spend their days translating for students? Or the magnet school, Morris K. Udall Escuela de Bellas Artes, devoted to dual language? Like the Phoenix Elementary School District did -- more than half of its students are classified as limited-English proficient -- Hanley issued a memo reassuring bilingual teachers and asking them to be patient. "We're going to continue the goal of offering quality education," he said in an interview. "We'll just have to be more creative in the delivery process." In south Phoenix's Roosevelt Elementary School, where about a third of students are new to English, the top administrator remains confident that bilingual education will remain in some classrooms. The district, spurred by a civil-rights complaint, recently entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to improve programs for Hispanic students. It includes bilingual approaches. "It takes multiple approaches," Russell Jackson said of English instruction. "Our hopes are that in spite of Proposition 203 passing, that they (state education officials) will be there to support us." For now, bilingual classrooms in the inner city are proceeding with as much normalcy as possible. At Longview Elementary, one-fourth of students are in bilingual programs, another fourth are enrolled in English as a second language and half are in dual language. On a recent morning, kindergartners penciled words into their journals. Some started "Today is." Others began "Hoy es." The teacher moved about the room, adapting her choice of language to the needs of each youngster. In a third-grade classroom, clumps of students read silently in English while a circle of students took turns reading pages in Spanish. "I like Spanish," said 8-year-old Noemi Castro, a third-grader who is fluent in both languages. "People can learn more" in bilingual education. Shelly Lopez, 9, said she voted against Proposition 203 as part of Kids Voting, which gives those younger than 18 a taste of what it's like to cast a ballot. "I think everyone should understand English and Spanish," said Shelly, who learned Spanish at an early age, listening to older siblings speak it at home. "You need to know both for some jobs." Enrique Hernandez, a first-grade teacher at Longview, wants to make sure Spanish remains part of his job. The 27-year-old is even considering leaving the primary school he loves to teach Spanish as a foreign language to high school students. He worries that Proposition 203 sets up children to fail, especially those who don't have a firm grasp of reading and writing in Spanish before they enter an Arizona school and are forced to learn English so quickly. "I love my job so much," he said. "It really hurts." |