Free Republic

As the academic year winds down, Creighton School Principal Rosemary Agneessens faces a wrenching decision: what to do with veteran teachers whom the state education department says don't speak English well enough. The Arizona Department of Education recently began telling school districts that teachers whose spoken English it deems to be heavily accented or ungrammatical must be removed from classes for students still learning English. State education officials say the move is intended to ensure that students with limited English have teachers who speak the language flawlessly. But some school principals and administrators say the department is imposing arbitrary fluency...

Bill carried by Oropeza requires Web site help for those lacking English proficiency. SACRAMENTO -- Describing ailments to a physician is difficult enough when you have a full grasp of English. Encouraging a parent to go to the doctor can be a trying task, particularly if there are cultural barriers that make visits uncomfortable. And a misunderstanding runs the risk of a misdiagnosis. But soon, help in overcoming language and cultural barriers to proper health care for California's vast diverse populations may be just a click away. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation Friday that will require the Medical Board of...

Ten-year-old Claudia Hernandez, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, learned English in the schools here, and after her teacher gave her a dictionary as a gift, she studied at home, too, playing school with her younger brother. Claudia would be the teacher, she recalled, and together they would look up words. "I'd write out the definitions and memorize them," she said, "and my English just kept getting better." Claudia's recent certification as a fluent English speaker was a milestone for her and for her school, Butler Elementary, which like thousands of others across the nation has become eager to help students...