Critics of HISD bilingual plan should have their input
Editorial
The many thorny questions are not nearly as simple as the sides in the bilingual education debate would have us believe. Too often, however, the political rhetoric and the ideological posturing get in the way of recognizing the very real need for bilingual education programs that work - and there are many that work quite well. Houston, unfortunately, is not immune to this byplay that frequently ignores the real issue, which is what's best for the students. Houston Independent School District trustees have been trying to craft a "beliefs and goals" document that would guide bilingual education policy in the district, which has 58,000 students who speak limited English. Of those, 95 percent come from Spanish-speaking homes. When the document was put forth last month it set off a storm of criticism from some groups and some leaders in the Hispanic community, most notably Houston's state Sen. Mario Gallegos. The document, critics claimed, smacked of efforts in states like California to outlaw bilingual education and promote the English-only movement. HISD trustees vehemently denied the allegations and have spent the last month working with educators and others in the community to address their concerns and alter the document, which has at its heart the goal of getting students to English reading proficiency as quickly as possible. Still there are some who refuse even to meet and discuss the issues unless the proposal is completely withdrawn. If the proposal is withdrawn, it's not clear what then there would be to meet about. A meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at the Museum of Fine Arts Auditorium is being sponsored by Parents for Public Schools. The meeting is expected to explain the policy, which district trustees should have done much better and much sooner. It also is designed to answer questions and take further input from the community. The meeting should be an opportunity for trustees to demonstrate how they have taken community input into account to alter the document. It also should be an opportunity for the critics to state their case and come to the table with positive input on how to improve the bilingual education programs in HISD. What it should not be is a forum for more political posturing. HISD trustees are expected to put the document to a vote on July 22, so time is short to enter the dialog. Though few would argue that the system does not need improvement, critics may have some valid points about what is wrong with the proposed policy document and how it should be altered or handled differently. The policy and its implementation no doubt will have some flaws and some corrections that must be made and monitored. But what those critics no longer will have is the argument that they were denied opportunity to provide input. |