Your help is needed in obtaining funding for professional development to two categories of credential teachers interested in teaching in bilingual classrooms/programs: 1) teachers who have a bilingual authorization but are teaching in English only classrooms and 2) teachers who are fluent in another language in addition to English but do not have a bilingual authorization. Professional development for these teachers is an approach that will expeditiously create a cadre of bilingual teachers. Funding for professional development for these teachers is critical! Please click here to send a letter to the members of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee 2: Education Finance.
Biliteracy
Santa Clara County Office of Education Honored with the Prestigious Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy Award
Anaheim – The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) has been selected as the first county office of education to receive the Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy Recognition Award. The Californians Together award celebrates the SCCOE for leading the way to world-class language education in preschool through 12th grade. The county team led by Superintendent Jon R. Gundry will receive this award at the 42nd annual conference of the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) on March 31 in Anaheim.
[Read more…] about Santa Clara County Office of Education Honored with the Prestigious Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy Award
Publication: Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy
by Laurie Olsen,Ph.D., A Californians Together Publication
California became the first state in the nation to adopt a State Seal of Biliteracy, igniting a national movement, California voters overwhelmingly (73.5%) supported the passage of Proposition 58 the LEARN Initiative to promote and encourage multilingual programs for all students. Parents and educators are now encouraged and empowered to implement multilingual programs, preschool through 12th grade, for all students. Building pathways to biliteracy requires communities and school leaders to become familiar with the variety of language program options, the research behind them, and the conditions that support effective implementation.
This publication is a resource for all stakeholders as they begin to think about planning for and implementing multilingual pathways to biliteracy and realizing the opportunities afforded by Proposition 58.
Complete the order form with this announcement, and fax, email or mail with payment bycheck, p.o. or credit card to:
CaliforniansTogether
525 East Seventh Street, #207
Long Beach,California, CA 90813
562-436-1822 (fax)
Questions: call 562-983-1333
Take Action to Support Addressing Bilingual Teacher Shortage – AB 952
Letters needed to help solve the Bilingual Teacher Shortage
Currently there is a significant shortage of bilingual teachers and these numbers will only grow as districts begin to implement new and expanded dual and other bilingual programs encouraged by the passage of Proposition 58, The Education for a Global Economy Act. The proposition passed with 73.5% of the electorate voting yes and this new support for multilingual education can only be implemented if there are bilingual teachers prepared to work in dual and other bilingual programs.
Assembly Member Eloise Gomez Reyes is authoring AB 952 (hot link), The Bilingual Teacher Professional Development Program. This legislation would establish consortiums to provide professional development for current bilingual teachers who have been teaching for five years or more in English only programs and for teachers who are native speakers of other languages and who wish to possess a bilingual certification.
In addition, the proposed legislation would encourage recruitment of the state Seal of Biliteracy awardees to enter into the teacher preparation programs and the creation of alternative support programs to increase the pipeline of bilingual teachers.
We need to send a letter (hot link) to Assembly Member Reyes thanking her for authoring this important bill and demonstrating the support she has for moving forward with this initiative.
Click on the link below to send your letter to Assembly Member Reyes. She needs to hear from all of us.
Use the “Forward to a Friend” link below to encourage your colleagues, family and friends to also send a letter.
Send you letter today!
Victory for Proposition 58 Guarantees that Parents and Educators Can Choose the Best Language Education Program for Students in California
Overwhelming majority of California voters said Yes to opening the doors and providing more opportunities for Multilingual Education in California Schools
Los Angeles, CA (November 9. 2016) Once more California will lead the nation in recognizing the value and importance of students graduating from our schools proficient in English and one or more other languages. California students, parents and teachers can now freely decide the best possible language program for their children. With the passage of Proposition 58, California is embracing its diversity, giving the hands-on decision of the best language education programs back to those closest to the students. [Read more…] about Victory for Proposition 58 Guarantees that Parents and Educators Can Choose the Best Language Education Program for Students in California
Victory for Proposition 58 Guarantees that Parents and Educators Can Choose the Best Language Education Program for Students in California
For Immediate Release: November 9, 2016
Contacts: CABE:Jan Gustafson-Corea (951)662-0795, Californians Together: Shelly Spiegel-Coleman 562-756-0493
Overwhelming majority of California voters said Yes to opening the doors and providing more opportunities for Multilingual Education in California Schools
Los Angeles, CA (November 9, 2016) Once more California will lead the nation in recognizing the value and importance of students graduating from our schools proficient in English and one or more other languages. California students, parents and teachers can now freely decide the best possible language program for their children. With the passage of Proposition 58, California is embracing its diversity, giving the hands-on decision of the best language education programs back to those closest to the students.
“As president of Californians Together and a school board member, I am thrilled that the electorate sees being bilingual as an asset, and we will work with policy makers and school districts to make this a reality for California’s students”, said Xilonin Cruz Gonzalez.
This vote removes the barriers put in place 18 years ago by a previous proposition that mandated a “one size fits all” approach to educating 1.4 million students learning English in California schools and diminishing the opportunity for all students to learn another language. Starting July, 2017, any 20 parents at a grade level or 30 parents at a school site can initiate the conversation and planning process for determining with educators the best approach to prepare all students for the 21st century with communication skills in two languages.
“Eliminating barriers and creating equal opportunities for students has been a life-long passion of mine. I’m so proud that the voters of California voted to give all students a chance to learn by overwhelmingly passing Prop 58,” said Senator Ricardo Lara (D-33), author of the legislation that created the proposition. “This decisive vote helps restore the pride in being multi-lingual as a valued skill and reflects a cultural shift toward openness and acceptance of people from all different backgrounds.”
In addition to the whole education community, the California Business Roundtable, the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Medical Association among many more supported Proposition 58 as essential for equipping students with the skills and abilities to meet the demands of our local communities, state and nation. California’s graduates will be our next doctors, teachers, service providers, and business leaders who can build bridges with the use of their bilingualism and confidence to move across California’s diverse ethnic and linguistic communities.
As the sixth-largest economy in the world, California’s passage of Proposition 58 encourages California schools to offer multilingual programs to ensure that our students become proficient in English while also having the chance to learn in other languages. Currently, only 425 of the 10,393 public schools in California offer dual language immersion programs.
In 2010 California became the first state in the United States to establish a state Seal of Biliteracy. Currently, 22 states and Washington DC public schools have adopted a statewide Seal of Biliteracy to honor graduating seniors who are proficient in English and another language. With the passing of Proposition 58, California continues to demonstrate its commitment to the education and advancement of its richly diverse population.
“This is an historic day. The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) will be working from now until Proposition 58 is implemented in July, 2017 to help support and prepare our schools, teachers, administrators and school board members to best plan for this exciting new era in public education” said Karling Aguilera Fort, president of CABE.
For more information on next steps now that Proposition 58
has passed please visit:
http://www.gocabe.org/prop58
Californians Together is a statewide coalition of 25 parent, teacher, education advocacy and civil rights groups committed to improving policy and practice for educating the state’s 1.4 million English Learners. Since 2001, Californians Together, a nonprofit organization, has served as a clarion voice on behalf of language minority students in California public schools
California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1976 to promote a vision of biliteracy, educational equity, and 21st century success for all. CABE is a statewide association with members and chapters throughout California along with partnerships with other state and national advocacy organizations who work to promote equity and student achievement for students with diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds.