Latino Education

Conspicuously missing from reasons given for “Latinos Lagging on Every School Level” is the bilingual program being taught primarily to Latino children. Having taught 24 years in a predominantly Latino area, it was distressing to encounter students in fourth grade, in the same school since kindergarten, still not placed in an English reading program. With limited English vocabulary and comprehension skills, there was no way, in my opinion, these students could succeed and finish high school. The bilingual program has done these children a serious disservice.

VIRGINIA SHIREK, Pasadena