Georgie Anne Geyer

In the following viewpoint, syndicated columnist Georgie Anne Geyer contends that Spanish-speaking students benefit more from English-only teaching than they do from bilingual education. English-immersion programs in California, for example, have greatly boosted the standardized test scores of English-language learners, she points out. Bilingual education programs, on the other hand, should be dropped because they result in a very low rate of English proficiency for immigrant students.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What is Proposition 227, according to the author?
2. By what percentage did standardized test scores go up after the introduction of English-immersion programs in Oceanside, California, according to Geyer?
3. In Geyer’s opinion, what challenges remain for supporters of English-immersion programs"

They said it couldn’t work. The entire education establishment was convinced that, without the convoluted...