Socio-political History of US history of English Learners in Education

Looking back on the timeline of the educational history of ELs in the US shows a pendulumatic shift that is mirrored only by politics in this country. This is no coincidence. Rather, it is evidence that the education of language-minority citizens (and non-citizens) is collateral in an ongoing political battle between a dominant majority and an oppressed minority, and their sympathizers. Despite research that consistently shows the benefits of dual-language education for all students, and teachers’ and families’ insistence that bilingual education is what they want for children, the American Discourse that a single language unites us, and that learning English as quickly as possible can only benefit linguistically diverse students often controls the legislation at national and state levels. Thus, as a nation or state, we enact blatantly racist (propositions 187 and 227), or biased (No Child Left Behind) laws that disrupt the appropriate education of language minorities decade after decade.