You wouldn't know it from reading the newspapers. Unspoken assumptions Throughout the campaign, evidence that favors bilingual education has been belittled or ignored, while negative portrayals are accepted without question. Clearly there are unspoken assumptions here. We debate the language of instruction because political realities forbid a comprehensive effort to improve schooling for poor children, whatever language they happen to speak. It's easier and less expensive to attack a scapegoat such as bilingual education.
Ethnic languages can be divisive, the thinking goes.
Better not encourage them with government subsidies. We talk about raising academic standards for all, while expecting very little of language-minority students, except that they learn English. There's a suspicion that these kids can't even manage that, unless we suppress their native tongues. Most Californians who are inclined to eliminate bilingual education have no mean-spirited intent. Nevertheless, they would risk the life chances of 1.5 million children on a radical, unproven alternative.