Posted: http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4542

Oregon’s Ballot Measure 58—to limit teaching English as a second language to two years—appears to have failed. One opponent is Larry Wolf, with the Oregon Education Association. He says each student learns at a different rate. Wolf is a former science teacher and says he taught many students who were learning English.

Wolf: And some of the students came in and their families spoke English and they transitioned into the English language right away. But there were others students that took several years to become proficient. And to say that you are going to limit someone to just two years to become English proficient, that’s not even reasonable, and nor is it fair to the students.

Measure 58 was sponsored by tax activist Bill Sizemore. He argued the measure would have encouraged students to learn English as a second language faster. (Anna King)

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