| On the border of Mexico, the student | | | | language skill is before they are 7 years of |
| population of Dallas Schools is about 43% | | | | age. Unfortunately, Dallas Schools don't have |
| Hispanic. The current climate of tensions | | | | control over how old children are when they |
| over border control and bilingual education | | | | appear in the system. Foreign language |
| is no stranger to teachers, administrators, | | | | education faces the same scrutiny, as most |
| and families of the Dallas Schools. Who to | | | | Dallas Schools don't offer any foreign |
| educate in a new language, and how to teach | | | | language courses until the upper grades. |
| them is a topic that has caused Dallas | | | | |
| Schools a lot of conflict over the years. | | | | Some parents and educators in the Dallas |
| | | | Schools area have put out a call for earlier |
| In 2005 many residents of Dallas Schools were | | | | foreign language exposure for elementary |
| infuriated when the school board passed a | | | | school age children. But the current climate |
| bill that required some school principals to | | | | over immigration and forced language learning |
| gain fluency in Spanish or lose their jobs. | | | | does little to help that cause. There are |
| The explanation was that problems were | | | | some innovative schools around the country |
| rampant because English speaking principals | | | | that do offer complete immersion classes in a |
| and Spanish speaking parents couldn't | | | | foreign language. John E. Ford Elementary |
| communicate. | | | | School is a public school magnet in |
| | | | Jacksonville, FL that offers a complete |
| A furor arose among proponents of English | | | | Spanish immersion program from pre-k to 8th |
| immersion who felt that it was the Hispanic | | | | grade. However, many residents of Dallas |
| parents who had the responsibility to learn a | | | | schools are reluctant to make it easier for |
| new language. Most principals learned the | | | | Spanish speaking residents to get by without |
| language or were relocated. | | | | English. |
| | | | |
| The decision about how to educate non-English | | | | Are the English speaking students of Dallas |
| speaking children in Dallas schools is under | | | | Schools missing out because of the firm |
| the same scrutiny. Bilingual education was | | | | beliefs of some adults? Or would making |
| once viewed as the best option, and a good | | | | Spanish more commonly used be detrimental to |
| way to ease Hispanic speakers into the Dallas | | | | the Dallas Schools system? Language immersion |
| Schools culture. But a lot of evidence over | | | | and the offerings of free education in venues |
| the past few years points to immersion as a | | | | like Dallas schools continue to be hot topics |
| better way to teach children a new language. | | | | around the nation. Can the grown ups come to |
| | | | a solution that will allow both Spanish and |
| Educators in Dallas Schools are aware that | | | | English speaking children to succeed in |
| the best window for teaching a person a new | | | | Dallas Schools? Yo no sÄ-. |