School board in GA approves first dual-language school

[Brian503a]

www.signonsandiego.com

School board in Georgia approves state's first dual-language public K-5 school


ASSOCIATED PRESS

12:50 a.m. November 8, 2005

JONESBORO, Ga. – A school board has voted to open a public elementary school where students will be taught to be equally proficient in English and Spanish by fifth grade.
Unidos Dual Language Charter School, which is scheduled to open next fall, is believed to be the first of its kind in the state.

It won't target the immigrant community by teaching English as a second language, but aims to teach both languages together to classes equally divided between English- and Spanish-native speakers.

"They're able to learn a language in very natural ways," said DeeAnn Dozier, the Clayton County schools English teacher who reviewed the petition. The board voted Monday night.

Hispanics make up nearly 8 percent of students enrolled in the state's public schools this year, according to a report released last week by the National Council of La Raza, the largest U.S.-based Hispanic advocacy group.

The first dual language education program in the United States was started in 1962 in Coral Way, Fla., according to the Unidos petition. In 2004, 294 programs used both Spanish and English.

[Bootsie]

OH MY GOD. This is in GEORGIA of all places. WHAT a DISGUSTING concept. I can't BELIEVE this has happened. We have GOT to stop this madness and convince our representatives that we want English declared our national language or else we are going to be a bilingual country withing 10 years.

I have already started lobbying my representatives on this issue.