From:  Arizona School Boards Association 
Linda Lopez, President-Elect, Arizona School Boards Association, Phoenix 
Harry Garewal, Vice President, Arizona School Boards Association, Phoenix 

Proposition 203 is about taking away parents' rights to make decisions regarding their children's education. Currently, a school is allowed to offer a variety of programs for children who come to school with limited or no English language skills. The school tailors the programs to their students' needs: the ages of the students, the language skills and academic level that the students already have and the receptiveness of the students to particular teaching methods all play a role in determining what type of program best suits them. EVERY program employed has the goal of making the student proficient in English.  

Currently, student participation is voluntary and requires parental consent before a child can be enrolled in a program. The parent can also withdraw the child from the program at any time. If a student is not enrolled in one of the formal programs offered, a program specialized for that student must be developed. Again, right now, parents decide. 

Proposition 203 would drastically change that by repealing all of the current options available to students -- AND their parents -- mandating that schools teach all English language learners through a specific, ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL program, the so-called sheltered English immersion program.  

The Arizona School Boards Association OPPOSES Proposition 203 for two reasons: 

• it ELIMINATES THE AUTHORITY OF SCHOOLS in offering programs based on the needs of their individual students; AND 
• it ELIMINATES THE CHOICES OF PARENTS in selecting programs that best suit their children.  

Arizona School Boards Association, Inc.
Linda Lopez, President-Elect, Arizona School Boards Association, Phoenix 
Harry Garewal, Vice President, Arizona School Boards Association, Phoenix