URGENT ACTION CALL from the National Association of Bilingual Educators,

because today congress will vote on HR 3892 which is called "The English Language Fluency Act" which will gut bilingual education. NABE is sponsoring today a NATIONAL CALL IN DAY to oppose HR 3892. They are suggesting that people call their representatives and gave the Washington Switchboard number of (202) 225-3121 and ask to be connected to our representative's office. The representative's numbers can also be obtained on the web at . The act is scheduled to be voted on today, and the bill must be opposed in its entirety. The main points are as follows:

HR 3892 is sponsored b y Rep. Riggs (R-Calif.)

THE BILL ELIMINATES FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS

THE BILL ELIMINATES LOWERS STANDARS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT STUDENTS.

THE BILL REPEALS THE IMMIGRANT EDUCATION ACT

THE BILL REPLACES TITLE VII, THE BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT WITH A LOOSELY STRUCTURED BLOCK GRANT TO THE STATES

THE BILL VIOLATES THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS

THE BILL INFRINGES ON THE ABILITY OF LOCAL SCHOOLS TO MAKE CRITICAL DECISIONS ON APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM AND BY MANDATING A TWO YEAR LIMIT ON SERVICES FOR LEP STUDENTS AND

ELIMINATES TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS BY ELIMINATING THE NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT PATRICIA LOERA OR JAIME ZAPATA AT (202) 898-1829.

THE NEW MEXICO NUMBERS FOR OUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ARE: WILSON: 766-2538; REDMOND: 988-7230; SKEEN: 622-0055. YOU CAN ALSO GET THE DC NUMBERS FROM THEIR OFFICES AND I BELIEVE THEY CAN ALSO CONNECT YOU WITH THE DC OFFICES.

LETS JUMP ON THIS ONE RIGHT AWAY.

JUAN JOSE PEŅA, CHAIRMAN
HISPANO ROUND TABLE OF NEW MEXICO

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Last Updated September 15, 1998, by Juan Fidel [Larranag@eece.unm.edu] Larrañaga
http://www.unm.edu/~larranag/hrt/mem/biled.html