English-proficiency bill ripped by Dems

April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, February 1, 2007

A battle erupted Wednesday over a bill that would require public school students to be proficient in English to graduate from high school.

Democrats, many of them retired teachers, gave freshman Democratic Sen. Chris Romer a tongue-lashing, calling his measure an unfunded mandate that would force school districts to shift scarce resources to fund English immersion programs.

Sen. Sue Windels, D-Arvada, painted Romer as a wide-eyed newbie who lacks understanding of the state's challenges in funding K-12 education.

"Sen. Romer, I welcome you in the legislature, but you will learn your optimism will be dashed," Windels said. "What you're asking of every one of our school districts is to shift money in their budgets."

But Sen. Nancy Spence, R- Centennial, came to the bill's defense. "I'm sick and tired of people in this building focusing on the money and not the child when it comes to educating our kids," Spence said.

The Senate Education Committee, chaired by Windels, voted 4-3 to advance the measure to Appropriations, hoping it will die there.

Romer and Republicans shot back, arguing that Colorado high schools are granting diplomas to students who have not mastered the English language.

Senate Bill 73 would require all districts, including charter schools, to develop an English competency policy to graduate from high school by 2012.

"The English language is the core for what all other knowledge is acquired," Romer said. "The school districts need to ramp up their focus on significant immersion for these students."