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My kids were in a school overseas where they used that formula, some classes in Spanish, others in English. It didn't work very well, actually, mostly the American kids just sat there and looked at each other. What works better is a rigorous foreign language program, rather than simply expecting kids to pick it up by osmosis.

Now if you could have both, rigorous training combined with some osmosis...

But when I was a kid in Houston, Spanish language instruction started at the third grade as a required subject. I'm not sure how many years were required in junior high and high school, but there was a requirement.

I would be in favor of requiring "x" number of years of Spanish for everyone. But bilingual programs don't work unless the people leading them are talented and motivated, and the kids are equally motivated. Some experimental charter programs should be allowed, but the critique needs to be clear-eyed and unsentimental. If they do well, tell the world, but if they don't, tell the world.

It didn't work very well, actually, mostly the American kids just sat there and looked at each other.

One of my kids is in dual language but it's not working that well. The American kids (including Mexican-American) aren't picking up Spanish --- and when the Mexican kids are exposed to English, it's all they want to speak. They'll be putting the emphasis back on "bilingual" which really means monolingual Spanish. They can't let these kids learn English and integrate.

Also if they require a language it shouldn't be one particular foreign language over any of the others. Just offer several foreign languages -- including Spanish and let them choose.

"I would be in favor of requiring 'x' number of years of Spanish for everyone."

You want to REQUIRE that EVERYONE learn and speak Spanish? Why Spanish? Are you one of those La Raza extremists? Why not German? Or Polish? Or Swahili? And what are you going to do to those who don't "learn" Spanish? Put them in camps? Start an Inquisition to punish them? Good grief. Go back to Mexico.

But when I was a kid in Houston, Spanish language instruction started at the third grade as a required subject. I'm not sure how many years were required in junior high and high school, but there was a requirement.

Bacon and I got out of high school in Fort Bend in 1986. Spanish wasn't even offered until eighth grade. Two years of foreign language were required for high-school graduation, but you could pick from Spanish (the choice of the sensible), French (the choice of chicks who thought it'd be trendy - oh, yeah, and Bacon for some inexplicable reason), German (the choice of those who wanted to sell gummy bears for a fundraiser), and Latin (the choice of about three kids who wanted a teacher who slept through class).