No Wonder Bilingual Education Often Doesn't Work
What's wrong with bilingual education? Let's start with the fact that in New York City 27 percent of all bilingual teachers lack certification-compared with 15 percent of teachers in general-education classes. Then consider that perhaps 35 percent of New York's bilingual instructors do not speak the language of some of the pupils in their classes. With lapses like these, it's no wonder that the program, which is supposed to teach kids in their native tongues, is often seen as a sham. It is. And yet, as the Advocates for Children of New York and the New York Immigration Coalition point out in a joint report released this week, beneath a ton of dismal data lies a program that could be turned into something useful. But this will require money. Now wait-it's not what you might think. The two agencies are not lobbying for a larger bilingual labyrinth in the public schools, a program that seems to trap and isolate immigrant children. That was the old way and it didn't work. Rather, the advocates want to see a program that relies on well-qualified teachers and top-notch curriculum to propel pupils into the mainstream much more quickly. This might do wonders for the city's school system, where 160,000 kids (15 percent of the student body) can't speak English proficiently. City schools Chancellor Harold Levy gripes that the study is based on a tiny sample of teachers. (To be sure, only 69 teachers were asked if they spoke the language of all students in their classes.) Still, Levy shouldn't grouse too loudly. The report happens to support his request for a $75-million increase in bilingual and English-as-a-second-language programs. Urban school systems can't buy their way out of crisis. But they can at least hire first-rate teachers who speak the language of parents and students. And they can raise test scores as they do so. This is a wise investment. |