California millionaire leading drive to dismantle bilingual education
BOSTON---In 1998, millionaire businessman Ron Unz spent about $750,000 to successfully push a ballot question to dismantle California's bilingual education program. Now Unz is bringing his campaign to Massachusetts, the state with the oldest bilingual education law. And he's meeting early opposition. Unz's proposal, which he hopes to put on the 2002 ballot, would require children who are not fluent in English be placed in intensive language classes to teach them English within a year. The proposal, which also declares English "the common public language of the United States of America and the commonwealth of Massachusetts," would give parents the option of keeping their children in a traditional bilingual education program. Unz would not say how much he plans to spend on the question. "The parents and voters of Massachusetts should have a right to decide if the children of Massachusetts are taught English or whether they are not taught English," said Unz, who said test scores in California improved after the ballot question took effect. Backers of bilingual education agree the Massachusetts program needs to be improved but say Unz's proposal is too drastic. "Shame on him, not a resident, not a taxpayer of Massachusetts, to come here and try to tell us how to educate our children," said state Rep. Antonio Cabral, D-New Bedford. "This is not about education policy. This is about the politics of divisiveness." The Massachusetts bilingual law requires a school district to offer bilingual education if there are 20 or more students in the district who speak the same language. Opponents say it isolates non-English speaking students instead of trying to integrate them quickly. "Bilingual education is the least effective way to teach English-learners," said Christine Rossell, a professor of political science at Boston University. Milorad Milutinovic, 42, arrived from Bosnia six years ago, settled in Chelsea and landed a job as a custodian at Boston University. He put his son and daughter in bilingual education for two weeks before pulling them out and putting them in regular classes. "I was not satisfied. I would like them to learn English in class," he said. "Today I am satisfied." Lincoln Tamayo, head of the Massachusetts Bilingual Education Advisory Council, said he endorses the question because the Legislature has failed to act. "I have seen incredible damage and the stunting of educational growth when children are taught in their native language for too long," he said. Wilber Renderos, 19, grew up in Chelsea and took bilingual education courses. He said he wants to give others the same opportunity. "Bilingual education was an important part of my education," he said. "Chelsea is an immigrant community. It's important that we provide bilingual programs to help those students ease themselves into the schools." Unz isn't the first wealthy individual to back a ballot question in Massachusetts. Last year, New York billionaire philanthropist George Soros and two out-of-state colleagues spent more than $1 million in Massachusetts on an initiative that would have liberalized the state's drug laws. The question was defeated. |