Oregon newspapers have published a flurry of articles and commentaries analyzing a ballot measure that will be put before voters tomorrow. It’s called Measure 58 and, if approved by voters, it will put a limit of two years on bilingual instruction for any English-language learner in the state. It appears that the ballot measure would also put a two-year cap on the amount of time students may receive English-as-a-second-language instruction as well, though that interpretation of the measure has received less attention in the media.
Advocates of bilingual education, such as James Crawford, the president of the Washington-based Institute for Language and Education Policy, and Stephen Krashen, a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, have been speaking out against the measure while opponents of bilingual education, Rosalie Porter, an author of books about English-language learners, has spoken publicly in favor of it (Update: here). You can find some articles or commentaries on the initiative here, here, here, here, here, and here.
We’ll find out soon which arguments Oregon voters find to be the most convincing.