The bill passed overwhelmingly by the Massachusetts House to reform bilingual education would have been a major step forward a few years ago. Now, however, it must take second place to the ballot initiative sponsored by English for the Children. The Senate should pass the bill also. It can be a backup to the more far-reaching reform in the initiative to limit most bilingual programs to one year, with instruction in English and reserving the native language to help pupils over specific difficulties. This is the approach used successfully in California.

The bill would require the Department of Education to approve local bilingual programs and to monitor student progress. Communities could chose their own method. An important floor amendment was adopted to require communities with more than 50 “limited English proficiency” students to offer at least two programs using different methods.

“We know that limited English proficiency students are being left behind,” said a co-author of the bill, Rep. Peter Larkin (D-Pittsfield), House chairman of the Education Committee. He’s right. But his bill would never have seen the light of day but for the initiative, which offers the better way to bring those students up to par.



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