ERIC Number: EJ902665
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Oct
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1537-5749
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Dividing Arizona
Finkel, Ed
District Administration, v46 n9 p54-56, 58, 60-61 Oct 2010
Amid all the national attention on Arizona these past few months, largely due to Senate Bill 1070 empowering police to take "reasonable" steps to verify the immigration status of criminal suspects, the state's K12 district administrators have been wrestling with a unique segregation issue, as well. Over the past two years, all districts have implemented a state-mandated curriculum for English-language learners (ELLs) centered on a four-hour block of time in which ELLs have been separated from other students for focused instruction. In addition, administrators in at least one district face state sanctions over ethnic-studies classes, which will be banned next January 1 if they cater to a specific ethnic group, or advocate ethnic separatism or a desire to overthrow the U.S. government. Opponents of S.B. 1070 and these other state policies regarding ELLs and ethnic-studies classes say those measures are all connected--and divisive in that they target those who are new to the United States. However, the state's deputy superintendent of education, Margaret Dugan, says it's unfortunate that S.B. 1070 and the ethnic-studies legislation passed so close in time, but she doesn't see those issues, along with the four-hour segregation of ELL students, as part of any coordinated campaign. Many Arizona administrators hope to bridge understanding between themselves and the state department of education and legislature, in order to gain greater autonomy in how they teach ELLs and students who want to delve deeper into minority cultures and learn about their respective roles in American history.
Descriptors: United States History, Sanctions, Politics of Education, Immigration, Minority Groups, English (Second Language), State Legislation, State Standards, Social Studies, Ethnicity, State Government, Language Proficiency, Second Language Learning, Special Classes, School Districts, Law Enforcement
Professional Media Group, LLC. 488 Main Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851. Tel: 203-663-0100; Fax: 203-663-0149; Web site: http://www.districtadministration.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Arizona
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A