No Way to Learn
Letter to the Editor, New York Daily News
Your September 6 editorial is right on target with its assertion that “it is imperative that the Board of Ed make an honest assessment of its English language programs.”
But English learners in New York City schools are struggling, and it is not hard to imagine why when you examine the programs which are supposed to be teaching them English. According to official documents from the U.S. Department of Education obtained by the Lexington Institute, bilingual students in Community School District 4 are taught reading and language arts 100% of the time in Spanish until the fifth grade. In Community School District 3 they are studying Chinese brush painting and Tai Chi taught by outside consultants.
It is difficult enough for any student, especially an English learner, to catch up after falling behind early in their education. But when then is how the Board of Education expects them to learn English, it’s a wonder they succeed at all.
Find Archived Articles: