Ed Board Chief Eyes English-Only Classes
Board of Education President Bill Thompson jumped into the stormy debate over bilingual education yesterday, urging the creation of an intensive English-only instruction program. Thompson's plan, unveiled today in a Daily News Op-Ed piece, would be the first major overhaul of bilingual ed in nearly three decades but does not go as far as critics, including Mayor Giuliani, have demanded. The proposal would give parents the option of choosing a program taught entirely in English, with additional support during the school day, after school and on weekends. "Immersion is English only, without support - throwing them in a class and saying sink or swim - and that's not what we're talking about," Thompson said in an interview yesterday. Now, parents can opt for bilingual classes, which are taught in a student's native language, or English-as-a-second-language classes, which are taught mostly in English. Thompson's plan essentially beefs up existing English-as-a-second-language classes. It also would eliminate switching between ESL and bilingual classes, which a Board of Ed study found to be highly ineffective. Calls for an overhaul of bilingual education have intensified since the board released the report in September showing that more than half the city's non-English-speaking students were still in bilingual classes after three years - and some even after nine. Giuliani has called for a two-year limit on bilingual programs. Randy Mastro, chairman of the mayor's task force on bilingual ed, has called bilingual education a failure. Thompson's proposal is an indication that Board of Ed officials are attempting to bridge the rift between City Hall and stalwarts who say bilingual ed needs more money and support to work properly. "Where are they going to get the resources for the new program?" asked Angelo Falcon, senior policy executive for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, which sued the board in 1972 to create bilingual education. "We're just concerned about the politics behind this," Falcon said. Schools Chancellor Harold Levy is expected to make his own bilingual ed reform recommendations, which sources say is similar to Thompson's plan, in coming weeks. The Board of Education is expected to vote on bilingual ed reforms as early as next month and phase them in as early as next summer. |