Nationwide, about 3.5 million public school students do not know English well enough to succeed in a regular classroom. In the early twentieth century, such children would have been expected to learn English without much special help, sinking or swimming on their own. Of course, many millions of children did learn this way, but many others failed, falling further behind each year or dropping out of school altogether.

Bilingual Education first appeared over 160 years ago to help ease the thousands of non-English speaking children into the American educational system and prepare then for instruction in regular English classrooms. This first program of bilingual education, still being used in some areas today, only trapped students in segregated classes that denied them the opportunity to learn English effectively. In recent years, research has shown that abandoning the current bilingual education system has "raised test scores at nearly every subject and grade level by 10-20%"(Wildavsky 2). With this new program and positive results, it is time for this nation to evaluate our bilingual education methods.

The demographics of our public sch

The next important issue to look at is replacing Bilingual Education with Immersion. This new bilingual program is called SEI, which means Structured English Immersion. This program is intended to "mainstream immigrant children in 2-3 years, compared to the 5-8 years of the standard bilingual education of today"(McGee 10). English is used approximately 85% of the time in the SEI method instead of the 20% of the current system. The basic results SEI is geared for are students learning and understanding more English as they are immersed in more English-speaking classes. It does not say to use only English during the course of the day. It is still essential for students to use their native tongue during the learning process to acquire understanding of the lessons taught. By having time during the day where it is acceptable to speak Spanish, "it creates a more comfortable atmosphere for the student. It is also shown to boost a students self-esteem and motivate them to learn"(Pompa 96). When students are content in the classroom, learning is easier, more enjoyable, and fulfilling.

him math and science in his native Spanish. "She helped me stay smart, while

bilingual educator, began to work with him to improve his English while teaching

A few years ago, the Center for Equal Opportunity commissioned a nationwide poll in the specifics of bilingual education. According to the survey, "almost 2/3 of Hispanic parents wanted their children taught English as soon as possible, and more than 80% preferred that their children's academic courses be taught in English"(Crawford 185). This is completely opposite of what is in the classroom now. This confirms that Hispanic parents want the best education for their children as much as the parents of American born children do. As a democratic society, it is our duty to ensure equal education opportunities for all students.

teaching me English." Given the chance to demonstrate his ability, Roberto

In contrast, there have been reports of success in the existing bilingual education program. In the case of Roberto Feliz, he thrived in bilingual education. His story is simple:

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1923
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)