This week the
Wall Street Journal revealed that the Arizona State Department of Education will be cracking down on teachers who do not speak English flawlessly. These teachers, who were recruited in the not so distant past by the same Department, will now be forced out of classrooms with English Language Learners.
The State is announcing these changes in the name of English-only movement, noting that these children will not learn English as well under the supervision of these bilingual teachers.
The role of language in American classrooms has become a particularly contentious and complicated issue. Especially in school districts, like many in Arizona, where there are large populations of ELL learners and where students come to school with many different levels of English and other language fluency.
Language policy in school has become an emotional rather than a logical debate. Data is largely missing from media forums and public dialogue on policy regarding language in schools.
