Bilingual Education Reform: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session, Hearing Held in San Diego, CA, February 18, 1998, Volume 4

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and the Workforce. Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families

Jan 1998 · U.S. Government Printing Office

About this ebook

The purpose of this hearing was to obtain the input of California citizens on federal legislation similar to 1998's California Bilingual Education ballot initiative. Present were Representatives Frank Riggs (chair), Bobby Scott, Randy Cunningham, Bob Filner, and Brian Bilbray. Offering testimony generally in support of bilingual education, or at least the option of it, were Dr. Eugene Garcia, Dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California at Berkeley; and Celia Ruiz, an attorney representing four California school districts. Dr. Garcia based his support for bilingual education on the conclusions of a number of government and academic studies showing overall positive effects of bilingual education. Ms. Ruiz focused her testimony not on the merits or drawbacks of bilingual education but on a defense of the legal process that federal law has created to allow school districts to choose from a range of educational options, from English immersion to long-term bilingual education programs. Cathy Liska, a teacher from Anaheim, California, and George S. Louie, a parent of a child placed in a bilingual education setting from Oakland, California, spoke against bilingual education. Mr. Louie's child had very negative experiences. Ms. Liska's experience as an elementary school teacher with first-hand classroom experience of bilingual education has convinced her it does not serve limited-English-speaking students well and should be ended. (KFT)