District digs in its heels

THE ISSUE: Civil rights office breaks off talks with Denver schools OUR VIEW: District is right to reject bilingual demands

In a decision of breathtaking arrogance, the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education last week asked the Justice Department to consider filing a lawsuit to force Denver Public Schools to revamp its bilingual program – again. Let us hope Justice attorneys have enough common sense at least to wait until Judge Richard Matsch – yes, he of Oklahoma bombing trial fame – gets a chance to review the district’s proposal.

Denver has been under a court-imposed consent decree regarding bilingual education since 1984, as part of the local school ”busing” case. Although Matsch released the district from most court supervision two years ago, his supervision of the bilingual program remains intact. It was partly in the hope of satisfying the judge that the district conceived its latest reforms.

They are worthy reforms, too, for the most part. The district intends to enhance the quality of its staff training and try to move all Spanish- speaking students into ”sheltered English” or mainstream classes in three years or less, rather than at the more leisurely pace common today. If they can’t make the transition after three years, they’ll receive special attention in order to ensure that they aren’t getting left behind.

The theory is sound enough: The longer it takes for youngsters to master the language of the regular classroom, the more likely it is they’ll find themselves playing catch-up with their contemporaries when they finally do make the switch. And the distressing levels of Hispanic achievement do seem to confirm the problem.

The office of civil rights clearly doesn’t like the proposed changes. Apparently these federal officials are put off by the emphasis on getting kids mainstreamed; they prefer to concentrate on casting as wide a net as possible for enrollment in bilingual programs – even to the point of considering kids whose first language happens to be English.

We’re pleased negotiations between Denver and the office of civil rights broke down if the alternative was district capitulation to unreasonable federal government demands. And we can only hope that Judge Matsch will recognize the genuine attempt the district has made to improve its bilingual program when he examines it in the coming weeks.



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