What’s worse than a public school system where 160,000 of its kids-15 percent -can’t speak English proficiently? Here’s what: That more than one-quarter of their bilingual teachers are uncertified.

The New York City Board of Education can go a long way toward correcting such imbalances today by giving Schools Chancellor Harold Levy the go-ahead to finalize his plan for repairing bilingual education, the teaching of children in their native tongue.

Levy’s ambitious overhaul, which has been estimated to cost $75 million, would give parents an informed say over their children’s placement in these controversial programs. And the plan would make it harder to keep students in bilingual classes longer than three years, although Levy would need to be vigilant about monitoring that. Elementary-age bilingual students tend to move into regular classes faster than older kids. Students would also benefit from the hiring of more specialized teachers.

The current policy, which includes an English as a Second Language alternative, lacks consistency. And the bilingual component is sometimes seen as ineffective; many parents say they prefer total immersion in English. The board would ultimately need firmer details about funding, but Levy’s plan brings structure to the process. It deserves a chance.



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