Finally, Schools Set Bilingual Ed Straight
Bilingual education has provoked passionate debate around the country, but here in New York City, we are speaking with one voice. When I was named to chair the Mayor's Task Force on Bilingual Education two years ago, pundits predicted we'd never achieve a consensus. They were wrong. On Tuesday, the Board of Education adopted reforms that create an English immersion program and empower parents to choose between traditional bilingual instruction and English immersion. We forged these reforms by acknowledging that bilingual ed has failed too many children to remain unchanged, but also by respecting that some parents, particularly in the Hispanic community, still prefer a bilingual curriculum. The sad reality is this: More than half our non-English-speaking students do not learn enough English in three years of bilingual ed to move into mainstream classes. That shocking statistic comes not from some partisan critic, but from the Board of Ed itself, which last year released the first data on its bilingual programs. There was a ray of hope in the gloomy data. City schools have historically offered two bilingual models: a traditional program where students are taught in the language they speak, and a limited immersion program where students receive up to three hours of English instruction each day. We know from the board's own data that English immersion works best for young students. Indeed, 84% of those enrolled in kindergarten exit within three years. In contrast, traditional bilingual programs have a far lower success rate. The implications are clear. If parents of non-English-speaking children want them to enter mainstream classes as quickly as possible, they should choose English immersion. But until now, they have not had that choice. Instead, such children were automatically enrolled in bilingual programs, from which parents had to take affirmative steps to remove them. Even more incredible was the absence in our system of a true English immersion model where students learn to speak English as quickly as possible. Until now. On the task force's recommendation, and with the support of Mayor Giuliani and Schools Chancellor Harold Levy, the Board of Ed adopted these reforms: In addition to the traditional bilingual instruction, an English immersion program will be created. Parents will be empowered to make informed choices about which program is best for their child. They will be able to choose whether to place their children in bilingual or English immersion programs. Students mired in bilingual ed will get special instruction to speed them into mainstream classes: help after school, on weekends and in the summer. The mayor has budgeted $9 million for these programs. Children will be expected to meet and beat the state standard of exiting bilingual programs within three years. More resources will be devoted to recruiting and training bilingual teachers, some 35% of whom are not state-certified. By improving teacher quality, we should see student performance improve in every bilingual program. Through these reforms, we remain true to our city's heritage as home to peoples of all nations. But we also recognize that no matter where each of us came from, we need to see to it that our children learn English so they will have every opportunity to succeed. Our children deserve no less. Mastro, a former deputy mayor, headed the Mayor's Task Force on Bilingual Education. |