Latino parents concerned about decline in bilingual programs

By: BRENDA DURAN - Staff Writer

SAN MARCOS -- San Marcos Unified School District officials said Tuesday that they have done away with bilingual programs at many school sites during the last two years because of a steady decline in submitted bilingual education waivers.

However, some Latino parents are blaming a lack of communication for the drop in waivers and the slow demise of the programs, which they say remain in high demand.

"Parents are not getting what they need to make informed decisions," said a member of the District English Language Advisory Committee, who said she did not want to be named because she feared retribution.


Other parents, who said they also wished to remain anonymous because of their employment with the district, said they were concerned that officials are trying do away with bilingual classes by keeping parents in the dark about waivers, which allow students to be considered to study in a language other than English.

The waivers, forms requesting that students be placed in the bilingual programs, are required by Proposition 227, the 1998 voter-approved initiative to end bilingual education. The law prohibits students from being taught in Spanish unless the district approves annual waivers allowing bilingual classes.

The law states that it is up to school officials to pick which students can be enrolled in the program and which can't. In order for a school to create bilingual classes, there must be at least 20 student waivers submitted per grade level per year.

Charles Fitzgerald, coordinator of the district's English acquisition department, said the district offers bilingual programs to 400 students at San Marcos, Alvin Dunn, Knob Hill and Paloma elementary schools, as well as San Marcos and Woodland Park middle schools and Twin Oaks High.

Bilingual programs do not exist or have been removed from the other 10 district schools because there have not been enough parents requesting them through the waivers, Fitzgerald said. Over the last two years, the district has had a 10 percent decrease, he said.

"We give parents options," said Fitzgerald. "We are not trying to do away with the bilingual program; it will remain as long as the numbers hold up."

Fitzgerald said that parents have a choice between the bilingual education programs or an English immersion program, and that more are choosing the immersion program.

Last year, the District English Language Advisory Committee, made up of Latino parents in the district, raised concerns about the waivers to district officials and requested changes to make more parents aware of them.

Some of those requests included extending the five-day window at the beginning of the school year for parents to request the waiver and also provide them with an orientation session to learn about what rights they have under Prop. 227.

The district granted those requests beginning this school year and began to allow parents to file a waiver any day up until the end of the year. They also added an orientation session for all kindergarten classes.

Roberto Mendez, vice president of the English advisory group, said that although the district has made the changes, there is still a need for more communication about the waivers.

"There is still a lot of confusion," said Mendez, who has children enrolled in the district.

Mendez said members of the commission took it upon themselves to begin bridging the communication gap after hearing from dozens of parents, but were told by district officials they are not allowed to discuss options for bilingual education at their monthly meetings.

"We were told they are the only ones who are allowed to give parents information," said Mendez.

This week, a group of more than 40 Latino parents is expected to meet to discuss the concerns about the waivers and about bilingual programs in the district. The group is also expected to draft a letter to interim Superintendent Kevin Holt, asking him to review the current information that parents are receiving.

Jose Escobedo, a member of the advisory commission for 10 years, said he fears the lack of information will lead to a decrease in parental involvement in the district.

"We need to find solutions together," said Escobedo, whose three children graduated from San Marcos schools. "The parents deserve it."

-- Contact staff writer Brenda Duran at (760) 761-4408 or bduran@nctimes.com.


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Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.

Here we go again: wrote on December 06, 2006 3:01 AM:" I refuse to accept any reported news as true and valid when I read statements such as, "who said she did not want to be named because she feared retribution." This shows me laziness and/or a lack of ability on the part of the reporter. The reporters job is to dig out and report the news. It seems that the digging out part is missing from this reporter. Or it could be that the reporter is using the statement to get his own opinion in as valid. Well if that is so he/she has failed. "

Tough love wrote on December 06, 2006 3:38 AM:"The writing is on the wall and it is written in English. The Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States were written in English. Must have been an oversight; where is the ACLU when you really need them?"

Hal wrote on December 06, 2006 6:35 AM:"I hope that this billigual program is for all languages not just Spanish. If so, it would be unjust to all immigrants."

Al wrote on December 06, 2006 7:06 AM:"Bilinqual education starts in the home, in the streets, in the stores and parks. Mexican kids should be speaking ENGLISH, not freaking Spanish! If Hispanics wnat to get ahead the first thing they need is a command of the national language and that is ENGLISH! Every Hispanic kid I see in the stores speaks Spanish yet when they go to school they speak (broken) English that my (caucasion)kids have to endure in class. It's just apalling."

MoreEnglish wrote on December 06, 2006 7:19 AM:"If you look back through history many people who came to the US were immersed in English and went on to be very successful. If more families today would speak to their children in English then their children would do better. Immersion works. "

Hey Bob... wrote on December 06, 2006 7:33 AM:"You're so right. That Fitzgerald clown can talk for hours...and say NOTHING! That guy is so full of himself he'll say anything to make HIMSELF look good, I don't know how he got where he's at, but all you have to do is hear ONE sentence and you know he has NO IDEA what he's talking about. "

WE speak ENGLISH wrote on December 06, 2006 8:01 AM:"in America, if you want to speak Spanish go back to Mexico!"

AResident wrote on December 06, 2006 8:43 AM:"The school districts should teach ENGLISH. The children should go to kindergarten and learn english prior to entering 1st grade. The parents that only want spanish spoken in their homes should understand that they are hurting their childrens future. The parents could learn a great deal by having their children speak english to them. You should study in English. If you want to take a foreign language take it as an extra credit. ENGLISH ENGLISH ENGLISH...... That's what needs to be taught. Corporations are not going to convert to Spanish just because you are too lazy to learn ENGLISH. YOU CAME HERE to have a better life correct? Well then complete the process. LEARN THE LANGUAGE...... Plain and simple. This isn't meant to offend anyone. This is the truth."

Mark wrote on December 06, 2006 9:39 AM:"I think it's great that "some" latino parents want their kids to learn English. Come on parents you all should want that. Quit acting like you are once again the victims and start acting like you want to be a part of this great country of ours!"

Robert24 wrote on December 06, 2006 9:58 AM:"We speak English in America. Learn the language. It is racist for anybody expecting anything else to be taught here. "

Dazed & Confused wrote on December 06, 2006 10:02 AM:"You want bilingual education? Pay for it! When I came to this country, I was required to learn English to attend school. When did that change? I attended classes at my own expense until I became proficient enough to read and write the language. Are there classes taught in Vietnamese, Chinese, or any other language to teach them English?"

El Guero wrote on December 06, 2006 10:03 AM:"These parents can't wait for the San Marcos Unified School District to teach their children in a language they understand, so why not send the children away to school...in Mexico?"

We live in America wrote on December 06, 2006 10:13 AM:"and Americans speak ENGLISH. Can you imagine what would happen if you went to Mexico and demanded to have your children taught in English? They would shoot you!"

English wrote on December 06, 2006 10:57 AM:"It's not just north america's primary language. It is the worlds trade language. You don't hear Asians complaining about teaching their kids in their native tongue. Who makes up the largest percentage entering college? Asians. Figure it out, then learn it."

To Hal wrote on December 06, 2006 10:59 AM:"The bilingual program all over San Diego & County is only for Spanish. I know because I came legally from Germany with my son, and he was not offered this kind of special treatment. He learned English from his dad and myself, and he is perfect in English. I say bilingual programs for all languages or none. If you as parent decide to live in the US you need to be willing to learn the language and teach you children the language too. "

billy wrote on December 06, 2006 11:19 AM:"if these parents are so concerned, they should pay for these classes themselves."

mikey g wrote on December 06, 2006 11:41 AM:"funny, when they were showing clips of our forces driving through bagdad, the freeway signs were in arabic...and ENGLISH."

JB wrote on December 06, 2006 12:37 PM:"Why is it that only Latinos want everything to be bilingual? Other ethnic groups that come to the U.S. make it a point to learn English because they know that's the best way to be successful. I think it's about time that someone says "Sorry, but you don't get your way this time" to those that are pushing their bilingual agenda."

Press 1 for English, Press 2 for Deportation wrote on December 06, 2006 12:38 PM:"How many public schools in Mexico offer classes in English for those who don't want to bother learning Spanish? That we are even having a discussion about bilingual education is ridiculous. English should be the only language in schools and on ballots. If you can't read English, I don't want you voting."

Greg in Oceanside wrote on December 06, 2006 12:43 PM:"I agree with most of the comments submitted thus far in response to the article. With the reduced budgets many school districts are facing, it’s a wonder any of the ESL programs even exist. Like mentioned, learning English starts in the home, which begs the questions; Why aren’t ELL (English Language Learner) students getting taught at home? Don’t the parents speak English? If not, why not? And if the parents don’t, then are they ILLEGAL ALIENS? Aren’t legal immigrants required to learn “some” English as a part of their steps to becoming legal citizens? So, if the kids aren’t learning English, then it’s pretty safe to assume their parents are illegal aliens. Which brings up the point that here we have ILLEGAL ALIENS “expressing concerns” that we, the taxpayers, aren’t doing enough to cater to their children. How utterly pathetic! But, on the flip side, I am glad that there is interest in learning English. But it should be done at THEIR EXPENSE, not ours, and certainly not at the expense of our citizens’ education."

Learn ENGLISH! wrote on December 06, 2006 1:33 PM:"I am not going to learn Spanish to warn you to get out of the street when a car runs a red light, you better know what 'LOOKOUT!' means!"

The Chinese Military wrote on December 06, 2006 1:35 PM:"always say when an article claims an unnamed source, it is almost always propaganda or disinformation. "

Tomas wrote on December 06, 2006 3:01 PM:"There is a clear threat to any dissidents, be they parents, or school district employees, when it comes to bilingual education. As an employee of the district myself, I have witnessed school principals say, after an English Language Advisory Committee, "I will not let this happen! I am going to decline them!;" when enough waivers were turned in to warrant the opening of a bilingual class. In another situation, school teachers were "moved around" out of their normal teacher positions, when they tried to directly inform parents of the differences between bilingual, and English immersion, or Structured English Immersion, education. The message for those teachers was clear: leave the Latino parents to their own devices. Lastly, in English Language Advisory Meetings, Latino Spanish-speaking teachers are "encouraged" NOT to be honest about their true opinions about what type of education is best for English Learners; which is a good bilingual education. These teachers have to be "diplomatic" and "neutral," in order to feel welcome, and respected, in their workplaces. The people of the United States, in particular, minority populations, forget, or do not know, that the Bilingual Education Act of the 1960's was one of the major gains of the then-Civil Rights Movement. The pretext for "getting rid" of Bilingual Education is that we need to "improve test scores," and that the programs never worked. How does improving test scores justify the educational disenfranchisement of English-learning students? Good bilingual programs have created great bilingual Latino professionals--many VUSD teachers notwithstanding. "

?QUE? wrote on December 06, 2006 6:04 PM:"Mi case, su casa"

VUSD teacher wrote on December 06, 2006 6:42 PM:"Like Tomas, I have also witnessed principals denying waivers even when there were enough to justify a class. Whether you are a proponent of bilingual ed or not, there is a process and that process is being subverted by administration."

bilingualSCAM wrote on December 06, 2006 6:49 PM:"Latino parents are mad the district is scratching bilingual programs? Good. Now they know how the rest of feel when music, art and PE, among other classes--are scratched to accomodate the children of illegal aliens who can't speak English and hide in bilingual classes. "

Mrs. Tipton wrote on December 06, 2006 7:08 PM:"Racism and ignorance are once again rearing their ugly heads in the comments from readers. They obviously don't know the law and they voted it into existence, they don't know their California history, and they presumably graduated from high school, and they don't realize the value added of a second, fluent language. If all children were taught English and another language in elementary school, we would be comparable to the other modern countries of the world. Right now, as a monolingual nation, we lag far behind. The reader from Germany should note that the law requires a minimum of 20 students of a particular language for a bilingual course to be offered. There are hundreds of bilingual classes in many languages besides Spanish in the U.S. Do your homework, Citizens of the U.S.A.: you embarass us all when you don't."

Mrs. Tipton wrote on December 06, 2006 7:11 PM:"There are two "r's" in embarrassed. Now I am..."

Learn English wrote on December 06, 2006 7:14 PM:"My parents were from Spanish speaking families and when they went to school in the 1940's in Vista and Oceanside there was no ESL. They were disciplined for speaking Spanish...they learned and did not need extra classes. When we went to school in Vista in the 1950's and 60's they told my parents not to speak spanish at home. We are Americans and have never needed Spanish except to speak to my Grandparents. In America learn English. "

SMTaxpayer wrote on December 06, 2006 8:28 PM:"Good job, SMUSD. Keep doing what's best for kids. Immersion works. English learners will learn better and quicker if you keep on doing what you're doing."

Vista USA Citizen wrote on December 06, 2006 8:37 PM:"Dear Ms. Tipton, our schools lag behind because we have over 100 languages spoken in California and good students are dragged down with students that do not understand English. If we all spoke English, the language of the U.S. and business worldwide, we would be much better off. Smart parents know that their children need to learn Englisn to succeed. California schools used to be the best, now they are at the bottom of the list. Political correctness, school unions, unqualified teachers, lazy administrators, multicultureism and popular culture, to name a few things, have badly wounded our schools and our children."

El Guero wrote on December 06, 2006 9:06 PM:"C'mon, Mrs. Tipton, don't beat yourself up over your poor grammar. It's your thinking that you should be worried about."

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