‘Bilingual Showcase’

The Los Angeles Unified School District’s bilingual education program is now in place. It is a disaster. That’s the only label that fits the bilingual education program. For our immigrant children and their mostly unknowing parents, teaching English in the child’s native language is the only method to be used in the Los Angeles School District.

The victory is historic for the bilingual education power lobby. They salivate at the useless jobs the program creates. Our immigrant children are numbers to be tossed around for jobs, not precious persons to educate for their futures. Transitional bilingual education (TBE), the teaching method adopted, is opposed by 79% of teachers, 72% of Los Angeles County voters and by practically every parent who knows what’s happening to their children.

Opposition to the TBE program was stifled. Officers of LEAD (Learning English Advocates Drive), the parent-teacher group in opposition, were refused permission to testify at public hearings.

Personally, on five (I clearly identified myself) telephone requests to testify, I was told “hearing dates and times are not certain”--”call back next week”--”you may, but it’s questionable, get on for 3 minutes, sometime during the day--be here at 9 a.m.” etc., etc. And the responses were laced with venom.

The bilingual program is and will be ineffective--a tragic disservice to our immigrant children. Other teaching methods are known, tested and used throughout the state and country. There is no one best way to teach English to immigrant children. But the board blindly followed the bilingual education lobby. Organizing rumbles are beginning to be heard in the district. The feelings of parents and teachers range between being angry and damned mad.

Proposition 63 (“English is the official language of California”) is alive and wants to know what’s going on here! 72% of Los Angeles citizens have demanded fundamental reform of bilingual education. This ignoring of the people calls for citizen action.

Board members are playing a cruel game with our children. They were voted in and can be, perhaps, must be, voted out--starting now.

STANLEY DIAMOND

Chairman, U.S. English-California

Director Western Operations

San Francisco