[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 120 (Friday, September 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ENGLISH LANGUAGE FLUENCY ACT

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                               speech of

                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 10, 1998

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3829) to 
     amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
     establish a program to help children and youth learn English, 
     and for other purposes:

  Ms. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this bill 
and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.
  We have before us a very overt attack on a very effective program 
that helps children for whom English is not their family's language.
  Learning takes place at several levels based on the individual's 
ability and capacity. Research clearly indicates that it takes a 
minimum of three to five years for such children to become functionally 
proficient in English. English proficiency is essential in order to be 
successful in the mainstream society.
  The bill essentially ignores this fact, by limiting to two years 
funding for students who have limited English proficiency. The bill 
also jeopardizes the potential for any increase in qualified bilingual 
teachers by eliminating federal grants for university teacher training 
programs.
  I strongly embrace the notion that children need to learn English as 
quickly as possible. But, bilingual programs should be designed to 
ensure that children achieve the highest academic standards that their 
ability allows. They should not be subject to some arbitrary deadline 
that would prevent classroom teachers and local administrators from 
doing what is best for each child.
  Mr. Chairman I represent Miami and Dade County, Florida, the Fourth 
largest school system in the country. We have approximately 40,000 
active students with limited English proficiency, and my school 
district tells me that an average of 2.9 years of bilingual 
instructional education is necessary before these students can be 
mainstreamed with the skills necessary to achieve proficiency in 
English.
  Mr. Chairman, this bill ignores the needs of these students; it 
ignores the results of recent research; and it ignores the very 
practical needs of school districts like mine, that must teach English 
to tens of thousands of youngsters who speak some other language at 
home.
  I urge the defeat of this bill.

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