President Obama has selected two experts on English-language learners to be among the 15 members of the newly formed President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. I’m headed downtown right now to attend the commission’s first meeting.
The two researchers on the panel who specialize in the education of English-language learners are Patricia Gándara and Alfredo J. Artiles.
Gándara is the co-director of the Civil Rights Project based at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has conducted a lot of research about how many English-language learners don’t have access to the core curriculum in schools.
Artiles is a professor of education, culture, and society at Arizona State University and has conducted important studies on English-language learners who have disabilities.
The other commissioners are Alicia Abella, Sylvia Acevedo, Daniel J. Cardinali, Francisco G. Cigarroa, Cesar Conde, Luis Ricardo Fraga, JoAnn Gama, Maria Neira, Lisette Nieves, Darline P. Robles, Ricardo Romo, Manny Sanchez, and Marta Tienda.