Defending Bilingual Education in Texas
Bilingual educators in Texas are engaged in a fierce battle to protect the current system for funding their programs and to increase state aid for educating English language learners. Because of the high stakes involved – not only in Texas but ultimately nationwide – NABE is financing a lobbying effort in Austin to ensure that bilingual educators’ voices are heard. HB 2, which passed the Texas House on March 11, would dismantle the “weights” system under which school districts receive an extra percentage, over and above their basic allotment, for educating special populations including English language learners. The bill would provide funding in the form of a “block grant” that schools could divert for purposes other than serving ELLs. The Republican-backed measure now moves to the Texas Senate, where bilingual education advocates are optimistic that legislators will stand firm for retention of the weights system while also increasing levels of funding for ELLs. Click here for further details.

Federal Report on State Implementation of Title III
“States have made significant progress in implementing Title III [of the No Child Left Behind Act] in a very short time,” according to the U.S. Department of Education. In a Congressionally mandated report, released March 15, the Department also concludes that English language learners “are making progress … in attaining English language proficiency and transitioning into classrooms not designed for limited English proficient students.” But the fine print of the 503-page document tells a different story. In several states, ELLs are falling well short of “annual measurable achievement objectives” (AMAOs) in English acquisition. Even more are failing to make “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) in reading/language arts and mathematics on state achievement tests. Click here for further details.

NEA Tracks Federal and State Legislation on NCLB
The National Education Association has compiled a comprehensive list of Congressional proposals to amend the current version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – a.k.a. No Child Left Behind. Click here to download the details. The NEA is also tracking activity in state legislatures affecting NCLB implementation or calling on federal authorities to make changes in the law. Such bills are now pending in 18 states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Click here to download the complete list.

NABE Certifies Executive Board Candidates
Qualified candidates for the 2005 election of Regional Representatives are as follows:

East Region: Heriberto Galarza, Carlo Mitton
Central Region: Bryan B. Charging Cloud, Pauline Chávez Dow, Angel Noe González, April Haulman, Roel V. Hinojosa, Elena Izquierdo, Sandra Liliana Pucci
West Region: David Briseño, Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, Stephen Krashen, Barbara Medina, Leon Rattler

Recent changes in the NABE bylaws have revamped election procedures. In 2005, NABE members in each region – East, West, and Central – will elect Regional Representatives to the NABE Board. In 2006 and 2007, nationwide elections will be held for Members-at-Large. The Parent Representative to the NABE Board will now be an advisor rather than a full voting member. This year, for the first time, NABE will conduct the election entirely online. Procedures will be announced soon, and voting will begin in mid-April.

Fighting English Only in Maryland
NABE joined forces with education and immigrant rights advocates on March 9 to oppose English Only legislation in Maryland. If passed, the bill would not only designate English as the state’s official language. It would also outlaw many bilingual services now available to state residents whose English is limited. Testifying before the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis, NABE Deputy Director Francisco Acosta summed up the legislation in three words: “intolerant, discriminatory, and divisive.” Facing a strong tide of opposition, English Only proponents did not immediately press for a committee vote. Opponents, including Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, a longtime friend of NABE’s, are optimistic that the bill will die without action in this legislative session. Click here for further details.

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