Oregon Voters Rejected Measure Limiting Services to ELLs

LEARNING THE LANGAUGE–As Campaign K-12 reports, Oregon voters have rejected Measure 58, a state ballot measure that would have put a cap of two years on the amount of time English-language learners could receive instruction in their native language. It seemed that it would have also put a cap of two years on English-as-a-second-language instruction  full story  complete coverage

Ore. voters reject measure on bilingual education

PORTLAND, OR–Voters have rejected a ballot measure proposing to limit how much time public school students can spend in English as a Second Language classes. The vote was failing by almost 10 points Tuesday night with 45 percent of ballots counted. If passed, the measure would have required non-English speaking students to learn English within two full story  complete coverage

Voters don’t limit teaching students new to English

PORTLAND, OR–Voters rejected Measure 58, which would have strictly limit teaching students new to English in their native language. Supporters said the measure, which would have limited teaching English learners in their native language to one year in elementary school or two years in high school, would spur schools to work harder to teach students to read and full story  complete coverage

English immersion — a dismal failure

PORTLAND, OR–As specialists in the field of English language learning, we were appalled to read Rosalie Pedalino Porter’s opinion piece on Measure 58. Porter’s guest opinion contains numerous false claims about the experience of states that have passes measures similar to Measure 58. Porter is wrong about the research on language learning and she is wrong about Measure full story

Measure 58 Limits Length Of Language Classes

PORTLAND, OR–The state of Oregon is poised to become the latest in a series of states to pass laws limiting how kids who speak foreign languages at home, can learn English. Over the last ten years, voters in three states have passed laws tightly restricting how much help students can get in their native languages. State houses across the country have also  full story  complete coverage

Schools say Measure 58 could face legal challenges

PORTLAND, OR–Oregon’s public schools are pondering what, exactly, Ballot Measure 58 will mean for them, how it will be implemented and what impact it will have on students. Portland schools officials say it’s difficult to gauge how much the so-called bilingual education ban would impact public education, but that it would affect thousands of students and hundreds of full story  complete coverage

Measure 58 puts English learners at center of word war

PORTLAND, OR–A ballot measure to limit how long English learners can be taught in their native language would add urgency to getting those students up to speed in English, proponents say, but would be a crude, one-size-fits-all approach that no educators endorse, opponents say. Both arguments got a workout Friday during an energetic debate in front full story  complete coverage

Measure 58 raises concerns

PORTLAND, OR–His name has been changed to protect his privacy, but “Albert,” short for Einstein, will more than likely end up in the public eye eventually. Albert currently attends the University of Oregon and expects to graduate with a degree in architecture. His wedding announcement appeared in The Oregonian a while back, where a former teacher saw it. full story

Sizemore initiative seeks to ban bilingual education

PORTLAND, OR–Oregon voters get to decide how to reach and teach children with limited English this fall as the hot-button immigration issue appears on a statewide ballot. Initiative promoter Bill Sizemore proposes scrapping bilingual education and English as a Second Language classes. His Measure 58 would usher newcomers into English immersion classes for one to two years, full story

Forum highlights divergent views on state Measure 58

NEWPORT, OR–Supporters call it a remedy for what they consider a failed system of teaching English to immigrants and other English language learners. Opponents deride it a “one-Sizemore-fits-all” mandate to learning English for all students in all schools, regardless of ability. Lincoln County Coastal Progressives wanted local voters to get a feel for what Measure 58 – full story