Statement on Educational Impact of Question 2

Boston's education reform strategy is rooted in a simple but vital premise: All children - whether in regular, special or bilingual education - have the ability to achieve high standards. We recognize that every student's learning style and every family's needs are unique, and we strive to create classrooms that embrace those differences in every one of our 135 schools.

Question 2, the so-called "Unz Initiative," threatens to undermine these core principles and turn back the clock on much of the progress we have made in the Boston Public Schools. If approved, this referendum would dismantle the existing array of research-based models for educating students whose first language is not English. The programs would be replaced by a one-size-fits-all mandate that limits parents' choice.

Almost 20,000 of Boston's 63,000 students come from families whose first language is not English. Of these, about 9,800 are enrolled in bilingual education programs. Our students speak Spanish, Haitian, Chinese, Cape Verdean, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Somali and dozens of other languages.

Our goal is for all students - regardless of their native language - to learn English and all subjects at an accelerated pace and to meet rigorous promotion and graduation requirements. Research confirms that children who become literate both in English and in their native language are far more likely to remain in school, meet high standards, and graduate high school prepared to succeed in higher education and the workplace.

If passed, Question 2 would disrupt the education reform efforts underway in Boston as well as other communities throughout Massachusetts. Instead of implementing programs to help close the achievement gap, school districts will be required to enforce educational policy through the threat of personal lawsuit to teachers and principals. Instead of offering a choice of programs, schools districts will be told that every child in every city and town must conform to a single approach.

Perhaps most daunting is the projected cost of implementing the Unz proposal - an additional $125 million in the first two years alone - including teacher training, curriculum development, instructional materials, and costs associated with higher retention rates. With fiscal resources becoming more scarce every day, these additional expenses would result in further cuts to schools and districts already struggling to do more with less.

And what results can we expect from this $125 million expense? If we look to California, where a similar referendum was passed in 1998, studies show that the one-year English immersion programs mandated by Unz have proven unsuccessful. In fact, fewer than 8 percent of students are learning English in one year, leaving students with limited English proficiency even further behind. As many as 70 percent of these students required more than three years of immersion to meet standards. In other words, instead of closing the gap, the Unz measure in California widened the gap.

On average, Boston students exit transitional bilingual programs after 2½ years. Eighty percent transition to full-time English programs in less than three years. The performance of Boston's English Language Learners on the MCAS exams exceeds the state average. That is not to say that bilingual education is not in need of reform. On the contrary, much work remains to be done to accelerate achievement and strengthen accountability. We must continually evaluate the effectiveness of all programs to help address the changing realities of families and schools.

The Massachusetts legislature approved a reform bill last summer that challenges the status quo while adhering to sound educational principles. Last month, the Boston School Committee adopted a new citywide policy for English Language Learners. Devised by a team of educators, parents, scholars and community leaders, the policy codifies a series of reforms that have emerged over the past several years based on evidence of what works in our classrooms.

Both of these new policies affirm the rights of parents to have options for their children's learning. The reforms reflect our firm belief that families and schools must work together to chart an educational course that makes sense for each child. After all, a third grade Haitian immigrant with only one year of formal schooling may require very different services than a 15 -year-old Somali student literate in his native language but not in English. We have a responsibility to offer parents a choice of programs that respect these differences.

These and other efforts to reform bilingual education are taking hold in our schools. They provide viable alternatives to the punitive Unz Initiative precisely because they were developed not by policy makers alone but by parents and educators who understand the needs of our communities, our schools, and our children.