Wednesday, May 28, 2003

Here's a novel idea!
Jay Lindsay of the AP reports Teachers who lack fluency could be fired under new law:
BOSTON (AP) Dozens of teachers who were hired to lead bilingual classes for an influx of foreign students could find themselves out of a job after initial evaluations show they may not be fluent in English.

A new state law will eliminate most bilingual education programs and require schools to prove by the end of the summer that their teachers are proficient in English. So far, assessments, such as classroom observations by administrators, have found that dozens of them may have difficulty holding onto their jobs because of poor language skills.

In Lawrence, for example, 31 of 93 teachers evaluated did not pass English proficiency standards and could be fired if they fail an oral exam scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Lawrence Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy said.
It makes one wonder about the definition of "bilingual".