Colorado was a natural choice to follow California, she said, because of its large number of Spanish speakers and the state's initiative process. Backing the Arizona effort is Silicon Valley millionaire Ron Unz, the mover and shaker behind Proposition 227, and Rep. Matt Salmon, Arizona Republican. Organizers of English for the Children of Arizona announced last week that they have gathered enough signatures to win a slot on the ballot. The opposition is mobilizing quickly in both states. Coloradans for Common Sense, whose numbers include bilingual educators and Hispanic leaders, has tried unsuccessfully to kill the measure with administrative challenges.
Research shows kids are able to grasp concepts more fully in their native language.
Denver is no stranger to the bilingual-education debate. In 1993, the Justice Department's Office of Civil Rights, responding to complaints from parents, accused the Denver public schools of negligence in managing their bilingual-education program. That system, which kept students for five to seven years, was replaced last year by the English Language Acquisition Program, a court-ordered plan that required schools to mainstream students in three years. Denver educators argue that the new program should be given a chance to succeed. Taking a page from the conservative playbook, they also contend that the ballot initiative would hurt school districts by removing control from the local decision-makers who are most familiar with bilingual education.