Ballot proposal to ban bilingual ed advances

Dual immersion planned

A proposal that would ban most bilingual education programs in Colorado survived a technical challenge based on the “single subject” rule Wednesday, on a 2-1 vote by the state Title Board.

Dissenter Alan Gilbert, Colorado’s solicitor general, said he had “significant concerns” about the measure’s enforcement mechanism. It would ban public educators who teach students in their native language from any public service in Colorado for five years.

But the board decided that should be “left to the electorate to decide on,” member Charles W. Pike said.

The measure’s proponents, led by California businessman Ron Unz and former Denver school board member Rita Montero, aim to put the proposal on the November 2002 ballot.

A title challenge kept a similar measure off the ballot last year.



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