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Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 14:00:30 -0500 (EST)
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From: paul168@juno.com (Grupo Primavera)
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Subject: [NIFL-ESL:1477] CATESOL'S position on the Unz initiative
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For those interested belo is the CATESOL positon on the Unz initiative.
Perhaps some information could be emailied concerning what CATESOL is,
how to join, etc.
Also, there is a group called the Association of Mexican American
Educators which is also organizing aginst the Unz initiative.
Paul Rogers
CATESOL's Position on the Unz Initiative
California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages (CATESOL)
advocates quality education for English language
learners. CATESOL
promotes sound educational policy and practices, and
strives to increase
awareness of the strengths and needs of English language
learners.
CATESOL's members include classroom teachers, teacher
educators,
students, classroom aides, and administrators throughout
California and
Nevada.
At a time when a third of California's children need to
learn English at school,
when experts have decided that California needs all K-12
teachers to have
special training to meet the long-term needs of English
language learners, and
when California is working to raise promotion and
graduation standards,
California voters are being asked to vote for an
initiative that will prevent
students from receiving an effective education.
Ron Unz's "English for the Children" Initiative mandates
no more than a year of
structured English immersion, followed by mainstream
classes. CATESOL
members' teaching experience shows that students need
more than a year to
be able to benefit from classes designed for students
from English speaking
homes. Widely published research by Ramirez, Berman,
Cummins, Collier and
Thomas shows that it takes several years for these
students to be on a par
academically with other students in mainstream English
classrooms.
CATESOL strongly opposes Ron Unz's English for the
Children Initiative,
because this initiative:
1.Stops ESL instruction after one year, ignoring the
length of time students
need to learn English for school success.
2.Eliminates local control by dictating the way
students are taught.
3.Delays instruction in core subjects when students
don't understand the
language of instruction.
4.Disrupts the educational process for ALL students by
putting
under-prepared English learners into mainstream
classes after only one
year of ESL.
5.Destroys programs that are already working
effectively.
CATESOL urges parents, educators, and all voters who care
about children in
California to OPPOSE this initiative. The Unz initiative
will not fulfill its
promises. Everything ESL professionals know about English
language learners
mandates against it. The Unz Initiative will hurt the
efforts to help every student
in California learn English for success in school and in
society.
Updated October 30, 1997
On Sat, 8 Nov 1997 09:54:27 -0500 (EST) sgaer@otan.dni.us (Susan Gaer)
writes:
>For those of you who are interested in the opposition to the UNZ
>initiative, please visit the CATESOL web site at
>http://www.catesol.org/unz.html
>
>There you will find links to:
>1.Smartnation, a website which serves as an information clearinghouse
>for
>the anti-Unz campaign.
>2.A summary of the report to the Board by Sara Fields, President-Elect
>
>3.Concise statement of CATESOL's position on this initiative.
>
>
>
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