Sam Farr: “I rise today on behalf of Lisa Gonzales. I met Lisa when I visited Branciforte Junior High School in Santa Cruz…”

“I rise today on behalf of Lisa Gonzales. I met Lisa when I visited Branciforte Junior High School in Santa Cruz, California earlier this week. Lisa told me that kids are dropping out, that they're losing hope. The students who are most at risk are the ones who need special help learning English. I want our schools to be able to help them. Our children are our Nation's best hope for the future. They all bring special needs to our classrooms, and that includes language training for those who don't speak, read or write English. We are morally and constitutionally obligated to use the best methods possible to teach them the language of their new country. Parents, teachers and administrators all over the country know that our children need bilingual education in our schools. This bill doesn't fix bilingual education. Its goal is divisiveness and rhetoric. We need to focus on student performance, not political controversy. These programs keep hope alive for the children who need it most. Reject this legislation.”