More than 200 Chicago-area parents and educators listened to proposed changes in the city’s bilingual education program and some expressed concern about the speed with which the program would require immigrant children to learn English.

The plan, which the Chicago Public Schools hopes to institute by next fall, would have instructors in bilingual education programs speaking English to non-English speaking students immediately, and it proposes those students be mainstreamed into English-speaking classes after three years of gradual immersion.

The changes are being proposed to ensure students use bilingual programs as a bridge and not as an educational system, officials said. Some have been in bilingual programs for eight years or more, school officials said.

“Please do not listen to those rumors that say we are going to do away with bilingual education,” said Armando Almendarez, chief officer of the Office of Language and Cultural Education, during the two-hour gathering Thursday at Curie Metro High School, 4959 W. Archer Ave.

Chicago’s program will ensure that students receive a lot of support in learning English from various avenues, including summer school programs. Teaching will have to be tailored for students in the bilingual education program and those in regular classrooms so that the two groups will be at the same level when they are mainstreamed.

“The most controversial piece of this proposal is what appears to be a forced automatic mainstreaming in the program,” said state Sen. Miguel del Valle (D-Chicago), who attended the meeting. “I’m not sure that’s the way to go. Some youngsters are going to have a hard time meeting that.”

Thursday’s was the first of four public meetings on the issue. Two more will be next week–on Monday at Bowen High School, 2710 E. 89th St., and Thursday at Foreman High School, 3253 N. Leclaire Ave.

All meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. The location of the fourth meeting has not been determined.



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