Failed bilingual education is overdue for improvements
Thanks to the perseverance of a state senator from Worcester and the involvement of a California businessman, Massachusetts' system of bilingual education might be reformed at last. If so, thousands of children prevented from educational advancement will have a chance for a better life. Having watched it for many years, I believe the current system, adopted in 1971 to provide transitional'' instruction for children entering school with limited knowledge of English, has been a dismal failure. It has allowed students to linger in bilingual classes for years, often taught by teachers who themselves struggle with the English language. These unfortunate students have the lowest test scores, the highest dropout rate and the lowest percentage of college admissions. Bilingual kids are segregated much like black children used to be in the South,'' state Sen. Guy W. Glodis, D-Worcester, told me during a recent interview. They have poor teachers, limited opportunities and are relegated to second-rate education. Why anyone would fight to keep the current system and retain students in an endless cycle of failure is beyond reason.'' Mr. Glodis is striving to bring about reform, either through legislation or a ballot initiative. He has filed a bill to replace the discredited transitional concept with one-year structured immersion'' that provides nearly all classroom instruction in English, with the curriculum and teaching methods carefully designed for children who are learning the language. After one year, students would transfer to mainstream classes. Parents would be able to obtain waivers to either advance their children more rapidly or retain them for additional bilingual instruction. Virtually identical reform is proposed through popular referendum promoted by Bay State advocates of English for the Children,'' a movement initiated by California businessman Ron Unz. Advocates seek to collect 57,000 signatures to place the proposal on the 2002 state ballot. Mr. Unz, 39, spearheaded similar ballot initiatives in California and Arizona leading to reform that produced huge successes. Mr. Glodis has been in touch with Mr. Unz for nearly two years. The Californian attended a rally in Boston recently to promote the ballot initiative. Mr. Glodis said at the time that he was not present at the press conference because he was still exploring legislative compromise with state Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral, D-New Bedford, and others who favored limited reform that left much of the current structure intact. Mr. Glodis now realizes that compromise would have crippled meaningful reform. Compromise is give-and-take. I quickly learned they never wanted to give,'' he said. So I am endorsing the ballot drive sponsored by Ron Unz, while pushing for my own immersion bill as well.'' Statistics underscore the severity of the problem. More than 45,000 bilingual students are enrolled in the current three-year program, an increase of about 10,000 students in 10 years. They graduate to mainstream English-language classes at an annual rate of 10 percent, which equals a 90 percent failure rate,'' Mr. Glodis noted. Forty-eight percent of eighth-grade bilingual students failed MCAS tests in English, 76 percent failed math, 81 percent failed science and technology and 84 percent failed history. Fifty-eight percent of third-graders in bilingual classes who were supposed to take the Iowa Reading Test in 1999 were excused by their own teachers because these children are unable to understand English. And while bilingual teaching is holding children back, it costs more than mainstream education. The state spends more than $7,000 a year on a limited English proficiency'' student, about $2,000 more than on those in regular classrooms. That is why school administrators have no incentive to get rid of the system. They thrive on Title 7 funds and would lose money as the result of reform,'' Mr. Glodis asserted. Students in California who transferred to structural immersion classes after the victory of Mr. Unz's Proposition 227 showed dramatic test-score gains, often 50 percent higher than those of children in the old system. Yet opponents in Massachusetts, representing various special interests, have blocked every reform effort. They accuse reformers of racism, elitism and insensitivity to the needs of minorities. They say bilingual education helps children preserve their cultural heritage. This is not about racism, cultural heritage or ethnic pride,'' Mr. Glodis emphasized. This is about empowering all children to receive the kind of education they need for a bright future. As an elected official, I believe it is in the best interest of my constituents to change a law that produces dismal results.'' Mr. Unz, whose immigrant mother spoke no English when she came to this country, expressed similar views during a telephone conversation. Throughout my years in school I kept wondering why we don't teach these kids English, why we let them fail. I watched immigrant parents boycott the system. After the California reform I hoped Congress would follow up, but nothing happened,'' he said. Mr. Unz estimated it would take $300,000 to $350,000 to conduct a successful petition drive in Massachusetts. I have no doubt that the people will vote for it,'' he predicted. Mr. Glodis agrees. Mr. Unz and Mr. Glodis come to this campaign from different backgrounds. One is a wealthy software entrepreneur willing to put his money where his beliefs are. The other is a public official who has inherited his deep distrust for bilingual education from his father, former state Rep. William Glodis. While working as a correction officer at the county jail, Guy Glodis was astonished by the large number of inmates who could not speak English and who viewed crime as a career. Theirs is a good partnership that, with the help of the voters, should free thousands of children from the shackles of a failed experiment. As the immigrant father of a son who had to learn English through total immersion, I wish them success. Robert Z. Nemeth's column appears regularly in the Sunday Telegram. |