A revised policy proposal on HISD’s bilingual education program drew some criticism Wednesday night at a meeting that was attended largely by Hispanics.

The meeting was sponsored by the Parents for Public Schools of Houston to gather input on a new bilingual education policy in the Houston Independent School District.

Several legislators, including state Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Galena Park, and Sen. Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, questioned the rush in approving the policy, which is scheduled for a board vote on July 22.

“The answer to that,” responded HISD trustee Jeff Shadwick, “is: Why the wait?”

Shadwick and trustee Gabriel Vasquez have been working on the draft since January, but have been making revisions in recent days recommended by a group called the Latino Educational Policy Council.

The proposal emphasizes “the ability to read, write and speak English as rapidly as possible,” but it also calls for the district “to provide opportunity for all HISD students to graduate proficient in multiple languages.”

Under the proposal, students with a limited proficiency in English will be moved into English-speaking classes as soon as they can demonstrate proficiency in reading English.

The issue has drawn criticism primarily from Houston legislators and Hispanic organizations that view the proposal as “an advocacy vehicle for the English-only movement.”

Vasquez and Shadwick deny that the policy is similar to the English-immersion program adopted in California. Unlike in California, they say, there is no time limit for learning English.

Critics also say the proposal was drafted with too little public input.

A letter signed by 11 Houston-area legislators was sent to Superintendent Rod Paige Wednesday, asking him to postpone the July 22 vote on the bilingual education policy.

“This issue is far too important to our children’s education to offer a piecemeal policy without thorough community and expert input,” said the letter, written on letterhead from Noriega’s legislative office.

In HISD, 58,000 students speak limited English, 95 percent of them from Spanish-speaking families.

HISD is the second area district to consider changes to its bilingual education program this year.

Spring Branch Superintendent Hal Guthrie proposed moving all Spanish-speaking students, except recent immigrants, into English-speaking classes by the end of the third grade.

The reaction in the Hispanic community was so explosive that Guthrie withdrew the proposal and referred it to a citizens’ committee for further review.



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