I am honored to serve as the new Executive Director of TABE, and I am excited to work with all of you to promote bilingual education in our beautiful state of Texas. Did you know that Texas now has the most emergent bilingual students in the whole nation? We have the incredible opportunity to provide equitable access to high quality educational opportunities for more than one million bilingual learners today, changing the future of our country for years to come!

As many of you know, bilingual education is not only important for individual student success, but also for the success of our state and nation as a whole. Bilingual individuals are in high demand in today's global economy and society. In addition, research shows that bilingual education has numerous cognitive benefits for students, including improved problem-solving, creative thinking, and decision-making skills.

It is my goal as Executive Director to not only support current bilingual education programs, but also to expand access to high quality bilingual education for all students throughout Texas. This includes working with legislators and educators to increase funding for bilingual education programs and research based professional development for pre-service and in-service teachers, paraprofessionals, and instructional leaders alike.

I also want to make sure that TABE is a valuable resource for all members. Whether you are a teacher, administrator, or parent, I want TABE to be a place where you can find the support and resources you need to advocate for bilingual education and to improve your own bilingual education practices and advocacy efforts.

In order to achieve these goals, I need your help. I encourage all members to get involved in TABE and to share your ideas and feedback. By working together, we can make sure that all Texas students have access to the great benefits of bilingual education. Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas directly with me at kchapa@tabe.org. I am here to listen and support you every step of the way!

Por último, quisiera compartir que estoy muy emocionada de trabajar con todos ustedes para promover programas de educación bilingüe de alta calidad en nuestro gran estado de Texas. Juntos, podemos asegurarnos que todos los estudiantes en nuestro estado tengan acceso a los beneficios de convertirse en una persona bilingüe, bilietrada y bicultural. Juntos, nuestras voces, y las voces de nuestros estudiantes y de sus familias, se pueden escuchar aún más alto. Juntos, por medio de la educación bilingüe, ¡podemos revolucionar el mundo!

Mil gracias,

Karina Chapa, M.Ed.

Executive Director

Texas Association for Bilingual Education

www.tabe.org

Connect with us!

@bilingualpride @TA4BE

The October 30-31, 1966, National Education Association (NEA) Conference on The Spanish-Speaking Child in the Schools of the Southwest was the prime stimulus for a series of pivotal outcomes culminating with the enactment of federal legislation supporting bilingual education for LESA (Limited-English-Speaking-Ability) children, as defined in the original law. That landmark legislation marking a radical break with previous U.S. policy was Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This legislation was enacted as an amendment to the 1965 ESEA legislation.

As a member of the 1969 first critical mass of 17 new directors of the inaugural Title VII programs of bilingual education in Texas, I did not realize at the time I was beginning a long and laborious—yet exciting—career journey. With few exceptions, the program directors of the nascent programs, along with the teachers, shared a common Mexican-American heritage and Spanish language tradition. These Title VII program professionals had also experienced public schooling during one of the most painful periods for Spanish-speaking learners. The group’s passion for change was therefore not only driven by a professional obligation, but also by a personal commitment to convert the schools to more flexible and welcoming institutions for all learners.

The urgency for education reform is evident in the stark contrast between the 1923 state government message quoted below, likely to Spanish-speaking parents, and the school messaging today that centers on democratic values of social justice, equity, and the strength of cultural diversity.

If you desire to be one of us, stay, and we welcome you; but, if you wish to preserve the language and the customs of another land, you have no right to do this…Texas children must learn the tongue which we speak and you must use the English language…If you will not do this, then (you) must…go back to the country which you prize so highly, and rear your children there. (Zamora, Emilio. A Status Survey of Texas’ Bilingual-Bicultural Programs, University of Texas Dissertation, 1977)

The clear intended purpose of this pronouncement by unvexed state education leaders was to intimidate and to supplement restrictive “melting pot”-type provisions contained in the 1918 Texas English-only Law.

Such extreme ethnocentric regulations were for decades applied with intense fervor by officials at the highest levels of government as justification to punish school children and chastise parents for breaking the English-only rule. Very significantly, discriminatory policy statements and school practices promoting and valuing exclusively one language and one culture sparked the school reform agenda produced by organizers of the 1966 Tucson conference. The ultimate blueprint for action by these delegates, mainly from southwestern states, called for revolutionizing public education both fundamentally and with sensitivity to the children’s cultural and language differences. The plan focused on six key areas for reform ranging from the individual classroom to the federal government.

The Honorable Texas Senator Joe Bernal, a participant at the Tucson conference, later led in the planning for the two subsequent national meetings to the Arizona meeting. The first, titled The Texas Conference for the Mexican American: Improving Educational Opportunities, was held in San Antonio in April 1967; the second convened in Austin the following year. Each of these national meetings focused on the underserved Mexican American students and the impact of a corrosive English-only driven system in diminishing the self-image and academic performance of these same learners, as reported in the 1966 NEA-Tucson survey study titled The Invisible Minority. A fourth meeting was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November 1973. These will be referenced in a later column.

Understandably, both conferences focused sharply on the moral imperative and practices for rehabilitating an inadequate system of education teeming with cultural injustices aimed at the most vulnerable of American communities, our children.

Two leaders from Texas who felt the pressure for acting immediately on the system change objectives promulgated by the Tucson delegates were the Honorable Senator Bernal and U.S. Senator Ralph W. Yarborough. Senator Yarbrough’s series of national hearings before the Special Subcommittee on Bilingual Education in May – July 1967 eventually garnered the support for the necessary congressional approval of the original ESEA Bilingual Education Act, also Title VII. That legislation was signed into law by President Johnson in 1968.

Equally significant, was Senator Bernal’s successful action in securing Texas government approval of his S.B. 46 in 1969. This allowed school district officials to implement programs of bilingual education operating under Title VII without feeling the threat of retribution for violating the state’s English – only law. The Texas House companion bill, H.B. 103, was introduced by Rep. Carlos Truán from Corpus Christi. The approval of this permissive legislation opened the door for the implementation of the first ESEA Title VII programs of bilingual education to operate in Texas in the fall of 1969.

In Part II of the column series on gauging our progress entitled “Sí Se Puede”, I will focus on the major challenges of the school -based bilingual educators when faced with the reality of implementing a radically different new program with no prior evidence of successful models, much less trained teachers, and a relevant curriculum. It would be, however, the steadfast commitment of bilingual educators to program change that would be tested in the face of resistance to alter the deeply seated organizational and pedagogical one-size-fits-all practices of conventional programs of education.

Rudy Rodríguez, Ph.D.

Ft. Worth ISD, Founding Director of Bilingual Education, 1969 -1973

Founding President of Ft. Worth ABE, 1972. FWABE was the first Tx. ISD affiliate of TABE

TABE Vice-President during the presidential term of the late Dr. Arturo Gutiérrez, 1976-1978, NOTE: the V.P. position title was later changed to President-Elect; also, TABE officers’ term of office was reduced to 1 year.

Texas Woman’s University, Bilingual Teacher Education Professor, 1975 -2002

University of North Texas Professor, 2002-2008 (Retired)

Commissioned by TABE President Irma Hinojosa in 2003 to produce The Texas Bilingual Education Story (now available on YouTube)

Me siento muy privilegiada de tener la oportunidad de compartir con ustedes algunas de las técnicas que practico o que me han sugerido profesores y alumnos.

• To keep up with courses, it is important to have a planner (on paper, online, or on your computer). If possible, color code your assignments by course or type (exams, quizzes, assignments, etc.). Read your syllabus and highlight all the important information. Plan ahead, if you know you have an assignment due and an important activity (personal or extracurricular) plan ahead! It’s okay to go out and have some fun with your family or friends but prioritize. School is going to go by fast, enjoy the ride. You can learn a lot about yourself and from others through this experience. You will learn a lot from your courses! Give yourself the opportunity to grow.

• It is important to practice self-care by staying hydrated, taking outdoor walks, doing yoga, stretching, reaching out to someone if you need to talk. Most universities offer counselors who will listen and speak to you.

• For certification exams it is recommended that students study at least 30 minutes a day, especially in the sections where their Certify Teacher score show need of improvement. It is best if students pick one exam preparation choice and focus on it for best results (240, TExES Core Subjects EC-6 (391) Book or Certify Teacher).

• It is important to take study breaks anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes to refresh your brain and body. Studies show that it helps students’ productivity, energy, and focus.

¡Les deseo lo mejor!

Aneth Marlene Jimenez

B.E.S.O. Student Representative