Wilson and 227

The May 19 front-page headlines tell much about the wreckage of public education in the state: “Wilson Backs Ballot Measure to Ban Bilingual Education” and “Public Education--California’s Perilous Slide.” When educational decisions are left solely to politicians driven more by ideology and narrow bias than a broad consensus and a deeper knowledge of good educational theory and practice, we should not be surprised to see the wreckage continue.

The most recent shortsighted decision of the governor was the precipitous reduction of class sizes in grades one through three without investigating the most obvious unintended consequence, that there were not enough teachers to meet the new demand. Instead of getting the classrooms and teachers lined up first, the state enticed schools with the money to climb on board a bandwagon with the wrong set of wheels. That faulty wagon design was one of the avoidable causes that has brought us to the school wreckage we face today. Unless, of course, that was the governor’s intent from the beginning.

JAMES P. SULLIVAN

Reseda

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I vigorously oppose bilingual education. If I had my way, English would be the official language. I am voting no on Prop. 227.

Why? First, I do not want to give community groups half a billion dollars of taxpayer money to “teach English to adults.” Children usually teach immigrant parents English, not the other way around.

Two, there is no legally enforceable state or federal mandate for bilingual education. Prop. 227 provides a right to bilingual education.

Three, when Plyler vs. Doe is overturned by the Supreme Court, California will no longer educate illegal aliens. Prop. 227 states we must educate all children.

GLEN WRIGHT

Cerritos