DPS: Bilingual ban tramples parent rights

The Denver school board asked voters Thursday to reject Amendment 31 in November, saying the measure designed to dismantle bilingual education actually would dismantle parents’ rights. They said the amendment’s goal is laudable: Teach kids English. But it contains punitive rules that, they said, would create educational and financial chaos.

The Boulder, Poudre and Jefferson County school boards also have passed resolutions against Amendment 31.

School districts have more autonomy in Colorado than in many states, but Amendment 31 would take away their authority on how to teach English learners.

The amendment would ban the approach many educators favor – a gradual introduction to English, supported by native-language instruction – with a one-year immersion course.

Superintendent Jerry Wartgow said Denver’s existing bilingual programs, which aim for a three- year transition, should be improved, but not at the cost of cutting parents out.

“This isn’t about immersion; this is about parental choice,” he said. “This is not a Latino issue. This is not a Mexican issue. This is an issue for all students and all parents in Colorado.”

Board members said Wednesday’s question-and-answer session with amendment authors Ron Unz and Rita Montero convinced them the measure would destroy a popular magnet school and expose teachers to lawsuits.

“I was distressed at how unresponsive Mr. Unz was to our questions,” board member Sue Edwards said. “I went to last night’s hearing with an open mind and an open heart. I’m more concerned now.”

Board members feared voters would not look deeply enough into the 2,100-word proposal. Even business leaders had difficulty understanding it in a meeting with him Wednesday, Wartgow said.

“Some people said to me, ‘I was inclined to favor it, but after this discussion, I have serious reservations,”‘ he said.

The board was troubled about the fate of Academia Ana Marie Sandoval, a dual-language school that opened last year and already has a long waiting list. The dual-language approach mixes English speakers and Spanish speakers, aiming for literacy in both tongues by about fourth grade.

Boulder, Fort Collins and other Front Range cities also have dual-language schools. Unz has said they would be affected by the amendment just like schools with traditional bilingual programs.

“Since there are such a tiny number of dual-language programs, I don’t have strong feelings about them one way or the other,” Unz told The Denver Post.

Les Woodward, a Denver board member and lawyer, said the amendment is vague on many points and would bring years of legal hassles.

John Britz, a political consultant organizing opposition to the amendment, said liberals and conservatives may end up agreeing to disagree on immersion and vote against Amendment 31 because of its limitations on parental choice.

“The debate will shift from the relatively small universe of people who feel for or against bilingual education to the relatively large universe of how it’s going to affect all voters,” he said.

Montero could not be reached Thursday evening.



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