Latino Education

In response to “New Ways Sought to Boost Latino Education” (Part A, Jan. 27):

One striking point about this article is that the solution to the problem already is available--it just isn’t being utilized. The solution: Teach Latino youngsters English as quickly as possible and mainstream them into the educational system. Bilingual education may look good on paper, but the results are deplorable: a high dropout rate and an undereducated economic underclass of Latino youth.

What is the solution being proposed by Latino organizations? More intensive implementation of a program that has been systematically failing these youngsters for 22 years: more native-language-based bilingual education.

Literacy in the land in which ones lives is essential. In the U.S., the common language is English. Students who do not master the common language are doomed to low-paying, low-skilled jobs.

Maintenance of culture and language other than the common language is a home-based responsibility. Students go to school to learn the skills that they will need. Bilingual education has strayed far from its goal of teaching English to limited-English-speaking students. We are reaping the results of this ill-founded program now.

SALLY PETERSON, President, Learning English Advocates Drive, Burbank