Unlike most ballot initiatives, Prop. 227 has a provision that would allow the Legislature to modify it with a two-thirds vote of each house and the governor's signature. Despite these provisions for exceptions and revisions, Prop. 227 is not as flexible as we would like. The measure would be much stronger if it provided for a longer transition time to regular classes in English, especially for students in middle and high school. And it should offer local school districts more leeway in designing classes for limited-English children. Still, Prop. 227 is no more rigid in design than the current system is in practice.
Schools rely far too much on long-term bilingual education, especially in lower grades.
The current system also does not give local districts enough discretion. We should not have to use ballot initiatives to enact educational reforms. That is the job of educators and the Legislature. But after more than two decades of paralysis on their part, it's time for the people to act at the polls. We believe the answer is yes.