The San Jose Mercury News November 6, 1997. California could be headed for another bitterly divisive debate that misses the real issues. I propose some basics for a genuine discussion of what policies might help more students succeed. People disagree on the best way to achieve that result, or whether there's one best way in all circumstances.
Nobody thinks it's bad for students to be bilingual and biliterate.
Nobody else believes this. On today's page you'll see columns by Alexander Sapiens, a professor who strongly supports bilingual education, and Lisa Dilles, a long-time bilingual teacher who questions how often the theory is working in reality. They raise a critical issue. Bilingual education doesn't work if it isn't done right, research shows. And bilingual education usually isn't done right in California.