NEW BRITAIN—In a debate on bilingual education Tuesday, state Sen. Thomas Bozek found himself engaging in testy exchanges — albeit more often with audience members than with his opponent, Springfield School Superintendent Peter Negroni.

While Bozek, D-New Britain, espoused the merits of placing new immigrants in English-immersion programs, Negroni countered that students cannot be expected to “learn what they aren’t taught” and need instruction in their native language in addition to English.

The debate at Slade Middle School, sponsored by the New Britain school district and moderated by broadcast personality Ann Baldwin, often was overshadowed by tense confrontations between audience members and Bozek. Six people in the audience of 25 who made comments during the forum all supported bilingual education. Several of the speakers were New Britain school district bilingual educators.

“I really resent the fact that you think we Hispanic parents don’t want our children to be educated,” bilingual teacher Mario Gaztambide said to Bozek.

“You weren’t listening,” Bozek said. “I said parents want their kids to learn. I believe Hispanic kids can achieve as much as any other kids.”

Negroni then chided Bozek, saying that his comments during the debate — many of them focused on how earlier Polish and Italian immigrants to New Britain managed to learn English and succeed without bilingual programs — may have sent the wrong message.

“Senator, you have to listen. Sometimes perceptions are important. While I certainly wouldn’t believe you were a racist, there are people here who believe you are anti-them,” Negroni said.

At the close of the debate, after several bilingual and Latino educators criticized Bozek, he said to them, “You’re holding on to your positions. I say this: The children will be the losers. You can hang on to everything you want because it is part of your culture. If I was a Hispanic educator, I’d be thinking real seriously: either it’s working or it’s not.”

Negroni said culture was a more complex issue than Bozek made it out to be, and that most Hispanic students who drop out of school are not from bilingual programs.

High school bilingual science teacher Argelia Aguayo concurred, saying to Bozek, “The majority of Hispanic dropouts are . . . in the mainstream [non-bilingual programs] and drop out because they face barriers. Sometimes your [comments] only give us more barriers.”

After the debate, Bozek said while he appreciated hearing different points of view, he thought the audience was predisposed against him.

“They were Hispanic. . . . They might be suspect of my motivations,” he said. “I think many Hispanics in the bilingual program have an interest in job protection. There’s a self interest.”

City resident Jose Argulo, one of the few Bozek supporters in the audience, was more direct: “He’s trying to remedy what is wrong and he’s getting called a racist for it.”



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