Information provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
On February 3, following a video message from Secretary Duncan, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secretary Education Thelma Melendez spoke to members of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) in Denver, Colorado. Roughly 2,300 of NABE’s members — from teachers, parents, and students to policymakers and business leaders — gathered to celebrate the organization’s 40-year history of working to ensure high-quality teaching and learning for English learners (ELs).
In his greeting, the Secretary emphasized that access to an excellent education for bilingual students is a civil rights issue. In her remarks, Dr. Melendez explained why the success of this diverse and fast-growing student group is so vital to this nation’s prosperity. She noted that roughly one in ten students in the United States is an EL, that 78% of ELs are born in the U.S., and that these students speak over 400 languages. The Assistant Secretary also recounted her own experience as an English learner. Her parents came to California from Mexico, and the family spoke Spanish at home. A supportive kindergarten teacher started her on the road to English proficiency.
Dr. Melendez highlighted a request totaling $800 million for the English Learning Education program in the President’s fiscal year 2011 budget. The funds would help to increase students’ English language proficiency, promote academic success, and encourage bi-literacy in order to strengthen America’s global competitiveness. Dr. Melendez also discussed the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Click here to view text of Dr. Melendez’s speech.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
Forget it. This country doesn't have 800 million to give away to ELs. Honestly I'm so sick of worrying about immigrants coming to our country and receiving the best of everything that even Americans can't get that have given so much to this country. English is and should always be the language of this country. Let everyone who comes here learn it on their own like all the generations before them did. They succeeded in life. That is why America is so great because of it's diversity. We have to stop catering to people who come here and can't speak English. If I want to be bilingual, I'll find a way. I'm sure the government won't send me a check so I can go to night school to learn another language. While I'm so irritated, I'm so sick of calling businesses such as banks, doctor offices, etc. and hearing Spanish first. This is America, why is English starting to fade as though it is not the primary language? Guess what? It is and I hope all citizens agree and make sure the government knows this is what we want. Not what they want. As far as I'm concerned we need to have referendums on so many issues that concern us like this one. It is our tax money they are spending. We certainly should have a say and vote on a lot of these problems. Okay I just fell off my soap box.lol Hope to get some responses.
Post a Comment