William R. Richardson: “one out of every seven children in America, living in almost every district in this Nation, starts school speaking a…”

“one out of every seven children in America, living in almost every district in this Nation, starts school speaking a language other than English. Through the bilingual education act, these children including Hispanics, Asians, Armenians, Native Americans, and many others, are able to learn and become future teachers, doctors and leaders in our communities. Now, after 25 years of success, bilingual education is being threatened. The Roth amendment will directly take away the only program that gives thousands of innocent children the chance at a good education and a successful future. This amendment which eliminates bilingual education will severely hinder the ability of teachers and schools to effectively reach the fastest growing segment of the kindergarten through 12th grade population which is minority children. Bilingual education, which has bipartisan support, helps these children improve their English and ensures that they do not fall behind in other essential subjects such as math. Therefore, it is critical that any serious and comprehensive education reform must address the needs of an increasingly diverse student body in our nation's rural, suburban, and urban areas. Striking these programs which have been so successful towards giving our children a quality education is the same as turning our backs to the future of our country.”