Bigger Than California A special edition of the NABE newsletter devoted to the initiative was tucked into conference programs. It analyzed the measure and urged readers to contribute money to the opposition campaign, write letters to California newspapers, and ask friends and relatives in California to vote against it. The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda's resolution against Proposition 227 is significant because Mr. Unz and other initiative supporters have argued that their proposal will help Hispanic students, said NABE Executive Director James J. Lyons. Initiative proponents say that students are not learning English well or fast enough in bilingual programs. Statewide polls have shown widespread support for the initiative, even among Hispanics.
Opponents note that only a third of California's lep students are in bilingual programs.
California voters will decide the fate of the initiative on the June 2 ballot. The keynote speaker here, Protase E. Woodford, argued that Proposition 227 is not simply a California issue. Over 'Fallout' Nancy Rowch, who oversees LEP programs for the Nebraska Department of Education, said the initiative is just coming onto the radar screen in her state. While most programs for LEP students in Nebraska use English as the language of instruction, Ms. Rowch said, some districts with burgeoning Spanish-speaking populations are contemplating a more bilingual approach, where teachers use more of the student's native language. The measure has been tied up in the courts since voters overwhelmingly approved it in 1994, but Mr. Garcia said that in the aftermath, some Colorado districts received families who had left California.