Schools probe offers results

A team of federal civil rights investigators are exploring allegations that San Bernardino children who are not fluent English-speakers are denied adequate educations.

SAN BERNARDINO—Teachers in the San Bernardino school district have adequate training to instruct children with limited English skills, but sometimes students are paired with tutors and aides instead, said an attorney for the federal Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights.

Friday’s disclosure was one of many findings of a team of investigators exploring allegations that San Bernardino children who are not proficient in English are being denied adequate educations.

Government attorney Louis Garcia said Friday that programs for those students don’t need to be dismantled, but on the surface seem to need some repairs.

“People here seem to have a good attitude and really seem to be trying, and I think that’s really good,” Garcia said. “But everything’s not just hunky-dory here, either. “

Garcia said his office will release a report within two months detailing district programs not in compliance with the law.

Garcia made his announcement after a weeklong investigation.

Garcia’s five-member team combed 10 campuses and conducted hundreds of interviews with parents, teachers and district office employees.

Delfina Bryant, who oversees programs for students learning English in San Bernardino, said she welcomed the feedback.

“Every program always needs some improvement, and I’m ready and willing to make any changes that will make our English learners better able to compete,” she said. “It’s all for the kids. “

Garcia said he was impressed with the staff. Nearly every employee working with children with limited fluency carried the proper credential.

“That’s very unusual,” he said. “I think it may be the first I’ve ever heard of that. “

Also, materials for Spanish-speaking students seemed readily available.

“I don’t think that any teacher said that if they needed materials they couldn’t get them,” he said.

But Garcia identified some practices that need to be examined because, he said, they may be hurting Hispanic students.

Children still struggling to learn English in the upper elementary grades seemed to receive much of their academic and linguistic support through tutors and aides rather than teachers, he said. And at the high school level, students learning English often are placed in regular English classes.

“The teachers say that they’re doing just fine, but then the district has not designated them as fluent yet,” he said. “We need to look at what’s going on and whether they’re in the right classes. “

The civil rights investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by district activists and parents. In December, the Mexican-American Political Association and the California Parents Association, founded by education activist Gil Navarro, alleged that the San Bernardino City Unified School District was improperly keeping Hispanic children with limited English skills out of bilingual classes. About 100 parents also signed the complaint.

Under Prop. 227, the anti-bilingual education initiative approved last year, districts are required to provide bilingual classes at schools where 20 or more parents sign waivers. Otherwise, the new law requires instruction to be overwhelmingly in English.

Garcia said special education programs also will be reviewed by the civil rights office.

Patricia Padilla, secretary of the district’s parent bilingual advisory committee, said she was encouraged by Garcia’s remarks. “I think he’s being polite,” she said. “He’s being gentle. But I think he’s about to spring-clean our district. “

Garcia also said the district will need to look at ways to boost its standardized test scores among students learning English.



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