PRINTER'S NO. 571
No. 93 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD, THOMAS, MANN, JAMES, MELIO,
PRESTON, HORSEY, PISTELLA, McCALL, LAUGHLIN AND JOSEPHS,
FEBRUARY 26, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, FEBRUARY 26, 2003
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Department of Education to require the
2 certification of bilingual teachers in public schools and
3 charter schools.
4 WHEREAS, The education of students whose dominant language is
5 not English is the responsibility of every school district and
6 charter school in this Commonwealth; and
7 WHEREAS, The provisions of 22 Pa. Code § 4.26 (relating to
8 ESOL) require that every school district provide a program for
9 each student whose dominant language is not English; and
10 WHEREAS, Various regions of this Commonwealth have
11 experienced a tremendous influx of predominantly Spanish-
12 speaking immigrants within the past ten years; and
13 WHEREAS, The school systems in these regions have few
14 professional educators equipped with bilingual proficiency or
15 the necessary skills required to promote the academic success
16 and English acquisition of these students; and
17 WHEREAS, Teachers must be able to demonstrate that they have
18 acquired the proficiency to teach English as a foreign language;
1 and
2 WHEREAS, Bilingual education teachers must demonstrate
3 proficiency in both the English language and the language of the
4 target students; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
6 Department of Education to require certification of bilingual
7 teachers in public schools and charter schools in order to serve
8 students with limited English proficiency through collaborative
9 training programs operated by institutions of higher education
10 and State and local educational agencies.
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