CENTER FOR MULTILINGUAL, MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH

Archives on Prop. 227

"End bilingual education in California." That was the slogan of a ballot intiative entitled English for the Children. It become a reality in June, 1998.

NOTE: these links are no longer updated but are provided for an historical perspective. Sites, and articles listed here are not necessarily endorsed by the CMMR; they are listed for informational purposes only. These current awareness resources are not meant to be exhaustive, but rather a sampling of what was available during the 227 campaign. If you would like to submit an item for inclusion on this page please write our webmaster. To suggest a site to be added to this web site please visit our "Submit a Site" page.

THE AFTERMATH

CMMR review of the results and ramifications of the passage of the California referendum to eliminate bilingual education. Includes sampling of news articles, commentaries, and current information resources that discuss Proposition 227's pending enactment.

ANTI-BILINGUAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE IN CALIFORNIA

This comprehensive link provides information on the initiative provided by the nationally recognized journalist and expert in the field of language policy, James Crawford.

CMMR SURVEY OF ANTI-BILINGUAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE NEWS ARTICLES

The Center for Multilingual, Multicultural Research sampling of news articles collected from newspapers, periodicals and other media sources through election day that discuss the pros and cons of the California anti-Bilingual Education Initiative.

EDITORIAL POSITIONS OF MAJOR NEWSPAPERS ON PROPOSITION 227

The Center for Multilingual, Multicultural Research review of California's major newspapers as well as national newspapers editorial postions on the intiative.

Additional Links on Propostion 227:

Full text of the proposed initiative statute.
Copia de la iniciativa de Unz (En Español)
Legislative Analyst's Office Analyses of Proposition 227 - Measure on the June 2, 1998 California Ballot
Official June 1998 California Voter Pamphlet - Analysis and arguments on Propostion 227 sent to all registered California voters.
The Unz Initiative - Section by section analysis of the initiative by language policy expert James Crawford.
The Unz Initiative - Section by section analysis of the initiative by MALDEF.
Citizens for an Educated America: No on Unz - Official No on Unz campaign home page.
English for the Children - Official web site of the English-Only initiative, sponsored by Ron Unz's organization One Nation/One California.
Smart Nation: Language, Literacy, and Cultural Tolerance for All Children - Web site providing arguments and information to counter the anti-bilingual initiative.
Helping All Children Learn English - Full-text of the April 27, 1998 statement on California Proposition 227 by Richard W. Riley U.S. Secretary of Education. (Español - Ayudar a Cada Niño a Aprender)- Declaración de Richard W. Riley Secretario de Educación de Los Estados Unidos
The Unz Initiative: Extreme, Irresponsible, and Hazardous to California's Future - National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) web response to the California initiative.
UnzWatch - A media project to combat the Unz initiative. Includes press advisories and issue briefs. (español)
Implications and Costs of the Unz Initiative - Council of the Great City Schools report to inform voters and the public, in California and nationwide, about how the Unz Initiative will affect the quality of public education in the state and how much it may cost the taxpayers. The report lays out the effects of the Unz Initiative in three ways. First, it examines problems and costs of implementing special English instructional programs in the Initiative's first year. Second, it looks at longer-term effects of the Initiative, including the costs of teacher recruitment and professional development, student mainstreaming, curricular development, materials and remedial instruction. Finally, the report discusses other implications for and effects on quality teaching in California.
Essays on the Anti-Bilingual Education Initiative - Articles and notes by USC Professor Stephen Krashen addressing the Unz Initiative.
An Email Exchange with Ron Unz - Ron Unz, principle author of the anti-bilingual initiative, and James Crawford, nationally recognized journalist and expert in the field of language policy, exchange e-mails in a revealing tête-a-tête on the merits and emotions of the California initiative.
American Educational Research Association (AERA) Resolution: In opposition to the Unz-Tuchman California Ballott Initiative "English Language Education for Immigrant Children"
Bilingual Education: A Tool for Equal Opportunity - position paper on the California initiative by the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights.
California Federation of Teachers Position Statement on Prop 227 - The membership of the California Federation of Teachers statement of opposition to the initiative.
California School Boards Association Testimony to the California Legislature Regarding the "Unz Initiative" - The California School Boards Association represents nearly one thousand local school districts and county offices of education. An overwhelming majority of their delegates voted to oppose the Unz initiative.
CATESOL Position on the Unz Initiative - California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages members include classroom teachers, teacher educators, students, classroom aides, and administrators throughout California and Nevada.
LAUSD Resolution of Opposition to the Unz Initiative - adopted by the Los Angeles School Board, December 15, 1997.
Linguistic Society of America Resolution - In opposition to the Unz/Tuchman California Ballot Initiative: 'English Language Education for Immigrant Children'.
Santa Ana Unified School District Resolution - Opposition to Proposition 227: English as Required Language of Instruction Initiative. School district of initiative co-author Gloria Matta Tuchman.
The Danger in the Unz Inititative - Why the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Northern California opposes the threat to bilingual education. "No On Unz" - ACLU information sheet explains what the Unz Initiative (Proposition 227) is and what you can do about it.
The Pájaro Valley Coalition for an Educated America - Web effort in opposition to the anti-bilingual education initiative.
Findings on the Effectiveness Of Bilingual Education - Press release issued simultaneously by Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) offices at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington DC
The Proposed "English for the Children" Initiative Means Limited Educational and Life Opportunites for Students - California Tomorrow's response to the proposed California anti-bilingual initiative.

NOTE: To read this article you will need a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat. Click here to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Teacher Roundtable: Language, Learning and Proposition 227 - A half-hour video that explores the potential impact of the the Unz initiative if approved by voters on June 2. Bilingual and English mainstream teachers from the Pajaro Valley (Watsonville, California) discuss a range of issues:
English Lessons: The Bilingual Debate Online forum sponsored by the San Jose Mercury News, began April 30, 1998.

ABC NEWS - "BILINGUAL EDUCATION: WAR OVER WORDS"

ABC's on-going coverage of the bilingual education debate providing numerous links, interviews, and such topics as demographic information on US top 20 bilingual school districts, historical timeline of bilingual education, coverage of California's Propositon 227 and more.

Selected highlights in the series include:

Look at Bilingual Education

Bilingual Lessons Under Fire

Two Ways of Learning English

Bilingual Ed Lacks Support

Research on Bilingual Education

Live Chat with NABE's Jim Lyons on the benefits of bilingual education

RealVideo on the battle over bilingual education