[Publisher’s Note: Gloria Matta Tuchman was the Co-author of Prop. 227, English for the Children, and narrowly lost the 1998 race for Superintendent to Public Instruction. I was the campaign coordinator for Prop. 227, and really got to know Gloria during that successful campaign, that was all about helping kids achieve fluency in English so that they could live the American dream – Flash]
Why did the California Republican and Democrat Senate Education Committee vote to place a measure on the Nov. 2016 ballot repealing Prop. 227 and restoring the failed “bilingual education” program in this state? Prop. 227 passed overwhelmingly by the vote of the people of California by 61% in 1998 and now our Legislators say that our vote does not count.
What is “bilingual education?” It is a program that utilizes the student’s primary language for initial skills development in the total curriculum until the child has met mastery criteria for transition to English reading and to skills development through English instruction. In other words, it is a “Spanish Only” program. Much or all instruction, textbooks, and teaching materials are in the child’s primary language. According to proponents the goal of “bilingual education” is to teach English. It fails miserably to do this. How could a “Spanish Only” program be imposed on English learners when it leaves English learners years behind their peers academically? Many English learners are devastated and struggle to catch up so they may successfully graduate high school and achieve their dreams.
Bilingual education failed millions of English learners, not only in California, but throughout the
United States. English learners are subjected to segregated programs which is disgraceful. The Little Hoover Commission exposed this in a report dated July 1993, A Chance to Succeed Providing English Learners with Supportive Education.” It exposed the truth and was an indictment against the failed bilingual education program. Did any of the Politicians who voted to restore bilingual education read this report before their vote?
Bilingual education has been one of the most devastating scatter-shot, fiscally bloated, and ill-advised failures. It has been an administrative nightmare, a cash cow for self-serving interest groups or motives to keep English learners trapped and segregated in their native language. The longer English learners remain in the program, the more money School Districts get and when you exit English learners out of the program to fluency in English, Districts lose their funding. Teachers profit financially from stipends when they teach in a “Spanish Only” program. No wonder they both want bilingual education programs. What about rewarding teachers for having students become English fluent instead of the present funding system?
The ability to learn another language is a true asset for anyone and becoming bilingual is a gift.
That is what Prop. 227, English for the Children is all about. English learners have been given the opportunity to become bilingual by learning English and not remaining monolingual. English learners are finally achieving success in schools now learning English and the Bilingual lobby feels threatened because of that success and now they want to take this away for their own selfish reasons. Perhaps, they should be honest and rename “Bilingual education” to “Monolingual education.”
Los Angeles Hispanic immigrant parents are the ones that gave birth to Prop. 227. Many concerned teachers, community activists along with these parents wanted to see these children taught in English and achieve financial stability and social integration into California. We salute those parents who stood up for their children’s civil right to learn English!
I can tell you from firsthand experience, as a Hispanic, a teacher of English learners for over 38 years that bilingual education is not the solution. Primary language instruction leads to frustration and confusion for attaining fluency in English. Many pupils are often as handicapped in the knowledge of their so-called mother tongue as they are in English. The time and effort devoted to bilingual instruction decreases the time and effort given to English and other subjects.
Sheltered English Immersion along with Intensive English Language Development is the solution for success for English learners. This is a proven method of instruction and one that I used with my English learner students with great achievement and success for over 38 years.
Two powerful individuals, Jaime Escalante and Fernando Vega were very instrumental in supporting Prop.227, the English for the Children Initiative. They served as Honorary Chairmen and opposed Bilingual education adamantly.
Jaime Escalante, a Republican and America’s most nationally famous math public school teacher called bilingual education a misguided program. He believed that English learners should be taught in English and that “bilingual education programs found in many California schools are a very poor substitute for English-language instruction and have a negative factor for most immigrant children.” Oct. 10, 1997
Fernando Vega, a long-time leader of Latino Democrats for the San Francisco Peninsula, a former Redwood City School Board Member who was once a supporter of bilingual education fought to end it. He concluded that, “the bilingual education system is a failure and should be ended.” “What is shameful is that so many politicians continue to support a program which they realize does not work and is hurting the education of millions of young children.” August 5, 1997
Learning English is the “power” for anyone in this great country of ours to move forward, achieve dreams and especially crucial for the English learners. It allows them to become bilingual. No one is asking anyone to give up their primary language, but acquire English which is the common thread that binds us all together as Americans!
Please contact your elected official to express your outrage to abolish Prop. 227, the English for the Children Initiative and ask them why? A “no vote” to abolish Prop. 227, English for the Children and restore Bilingual education in 2016 is imperative!
Gloria Matta Tuchman, was Co-author of the successful Prop. 227, “English for the Children” Campaign in 1998 and was the Republican Candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction that same year. Matta Tuchman a retired teacher from her lifelong job as a public school teacher in 2002.
As a child in a Mexican-American family living in rural Teas, she was a central plaintiff in a desegregation lawsuit under which her Texas town was forced to open its public facilities to people of all ethnic backgrounds. She experienced and suffered those atrocities when it comes to discrimination and segregation and will never forget how it changed her life.