Just a quick addition. I agree that the bit in this question about lawsuits is bone-headed. Note that both O'Brien and Romney have pledged to remove this language if it makes it to them. I don't know about the other candidates. I guess I'm assuming one of the "major" party candidates will win. Andy
--- Joel A Feingold <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Forwarding this. > > Joel A. Feingold > > -----Original Message----- > From: Rich Shapiro > [mailto:RShapiro@;assetmortgage.net] > Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 12:09 PM > To: Joel A Feingold > Subject: RE: Bilingual Forum Reminder! > > > Becaon Hill has passed a new law (went through as > the Larkin Bill) that > addressed many of the issues you mentioned. The > Larkin Law is the > alternative to Q2. > > Richard Shapiro > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Joel A Feingold [mailto:blammo@;rcn.com] > Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 12:02 PM > To: Norma Shulman; Steve Orr; Framingham Neighbors > Subject: RE: Bilingual Forum Reminder! > > > Dear Friends and Neighbors, > > I can't make the forum so I decided to send out a > note. > > There is much room to disagree about Question 2. I > have researced this > question some and would like to give you a very > brief capsule of what I > have > found. Of course, the following points are GENERAL, > and I am not going > to go > on long with specific examples. > > 1. BOTH Bilingual Education and English Immersion > are very tricky > because > the abilities of the students vary dramatically with > their age. > > a. In general, young students from preschool > through perhaps > later grammer > school, respond very well to Immersion because > innate language learning > skills are still intact. > > b. Older students, perhaps 10 to 12 and up, have > fairly "Hard > Wired" brains > and the natural language learning skills are > diminished. (This is very > well > established by linguists as correct by modern > scientific standards.) As > the > student is older, Immersion is less effective. > > c. By the time a student is in the 15 to 18 year > old range > Immersion is > almost always a failure, as measured by the ability > of the student to > succeed in the classroom with the normal curriculum. > Students in this > age > range need Bilingual Education to keep up with their > age peers while > they > learn English. It takes, on average, about 3 years, > for a student in > this > age bracket to gain sufficient proficency for > educational success. > > Conclusion # 1 -- A blend of both Bilingual and > Immersion styles would > best > suit our students. > > 2. The consequences of foreign language students > being placed in > English > only normal curriculum classes before they are > adaquately proficient has > negative consequences for ALL. > > a. The foreign language students will not receive a > satisfactory > education, > dooming them to low income jobs and second class > citizenship. > > b. Due to the ethnic composition of the students > this results in > a success > gap by national origin or ethnicity, which is > problematic for our > integrated > society which values providing all people of all > ethnic and religious > backgrounds good, if not equal, opportunities for > advancement. > > c. Inability to succeed in class often results in > students > becoming > disruptive and their friustrations grow. Disiplinary > problems occur. > Teachers are thrust into more difficult roles and > are less focussed upon > the > actual teaching of their subjects while they manage > classroom behavior. > Great stress may be added. The other students > educational forum is > diminished. > > d. More of these students become marginalized by > society and are > vulnerable > to becoming victims of criminals or criminals > themselves. > > Conclusion # 2 -- It is worth it to retain at least > some Bilingual > Education for students learning english who are (for > arguments' sake) 13 > or > over. This benefits them, the teachers, their > classmates, and society > itself > over the long haul. > > 3. The Ballot Question opens up our teachers to > Lawsuits. This is > grossly > punitive and flies in the face of what I believe our > education system > should > include. It sends a horrible message to our > teachers. > > My overall conclusion is that while our system of > Bilingual Education is > probably ready for some improvement, that will come > from changes that > enhance the opportunities for all students without > reducing the > opportunities of others. Ballot Question 2 should > get a no vote. > > Joel A. Feingold > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:owner-frambors@;syslang.net]On > Behalf Of Norma Shulman > Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 1:20 PM > To: Steve Orr; Framingham Neighbors > Subject: Re: Bilingual Forum Reminder! > > > Please follow the detailed discussion on this ballot > question (#2) to be > thoroughly informed before voting. If you cannot > make it to the forum, I > understand that it will be filmed bu Framingham > Government Access TV - > watch for it on AT&T channel 9/17 and on RCN channel > 16. Much better to > attend in person, if possible, so you can ask > questions! > > -- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with body > "unsubscribe frambors" (the subject is ignored). > > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with body > "unsubscribe frambors" (the subject is ignored). > > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with body > "unsubscribe frambors" (the subject is ignored). __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site http://webhosting.yahoo.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with body "unsubscribe frambors" (the subject is ignored).
