The Learning Curve: One Language Or Two

Letter to the Editor of The New York Times

Samuel G. Freedman mentions the criticism that it is”almost impossible” to get children out of bilingual programs once they are enrolled (“On Education” column, July 14).

This observation is more than anecdotal. City Board of Education statistics show that among students who begin bilingual education in first grade, more than 1 in 5 are still enrolled in these “transitional” programs 9 years later. Tellingly, more of the City’s English learners currently drop out of school than graduate high school.

In a year where we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education , banishing this newer form of segregation would be a welcome improvement.