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English YES! Unz NO!
Everyone agrees that students must become proficient in English
to succeed in school and work in the U.S. MTA disagrees with the
means to that end proposed by Ron Unz, a California businessman
who has placed an initiative petition on the November ballot in
Massachusetts that would wipe out most bilingual programs and replace
them with one-year, English only a "immersiona" programs.
A similar measure proposed by Unz passed in California, and Delaine
Eastin, the superintendent of schools in that state, strongly advises
Massachusetts against following the same path...
Bad for students
The Unz petition is a one-size-fits-all, top-down education plan.
After one year in a multi-grade, multilingual a "immersiona"
program, many LEP students are still not proficient in English and
most will have fallen behind in their academic subjects. The Unz
plan doesna??t offer them any choices or additional help. Students
currently enrolled in successful bilingual education and dual language
programs would lose the educational benefits they currently receive.
Bad for parents
Students learn best when parents are involved in their education.
The Unz plan takes parents out of the equation by severely limiting
their ability to influence what kinds of programs are offered and
to choose the best ones for their children.
Bad for teachers
Unz also eliminates teacher input into how to educate students.
In fact, under Unz, teachers could be sued and barred from the profession
for up to five years for speaking to students in their native languages.
This punitive approach toward teachers is demeaning, threatening,
and unnecessary. It would set a terrible precedent. Regular education
teachers would also be affected since they would have to educate
students who may speak a "playgrounda" English well, but
who may be far behind in academic English after only one year of
instruction.
There is a better way
H. 5010 MTA supports H. 5010, a bill that would improve English
language instruction by encouraging school districts to offer a
variety of innovative programs, strengthening teacher qualifications
and requiring more oversight by the state. Debate on this bill in
the House is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, June 18.
What You Can Do to Stop Unz
Tell your colleagues, family, friends, and neighbors
about the serious consequences if the Unz petition passes and ask
them to VOTE NO on the Unz ballot petition in November.
Get involved in the state or local organizing efforts
against the Unz petition by contacting the Leave No Child Behind
Campaign at www.matsol.org.
Contact your Representative and Senator (617-722-2000)
and let them know you oppose the Unz petition. Ask them to support
H. 5010 and to oppose any amendments that would substitute the Unz
ballot petition language for H. 5010. You can find their contact
information and send an e-mail here.
My note
You may also want to write your reps and senators and ask them
to make sure a parents' choice provision is added to the bill, to
insure that
parents can get the programs they desire in each district.
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