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Bilingual education in Ohio
Ohio passed the first state law allowing bilingual education. As a result, thousands of immigrant students were taught in both German and English. This image shows instructions in English and German for keeping prisoners in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on July 14, 1776. Source: Library of Congress -
Bilingual education in California
California officially became a state in 1859. At that time, many schools were private and associated with the Roman Catholic church. As a result, many classes were taught by Spanish priests at missions, so students were receiving bilingual instruction in Spanish and English. This mission in Carmel has a school attached to it, where instruction is still given today. Source: Library of Congress -
Oppression of Native Americans
The Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania represents the dark history of the U.S. government's attempt to assimilate Native Americans. In 1830, Indian Removal Act forced Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi to allow for colonial expansion. Native American children were sometimes forcibly removed from their families and sent to boarding schools, where they were forbidden to use their own languages and names or practicing their religion and culture. Source: Library of Congress -
Meyer -v- Nebraska
This was the first U.S. Supreme Court case regarding foreign-language teaching in American education at a time when anti-immigration sentiments were rising. The court struck down a Nebraska law that banned both public and private schools from offering instruction in any language but English. This image shows a pile of German textbooks being burnt during an anti-German demonstration. Source: Library of Congress -
Civil Rights Act passed
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act bans discrimination in public schools on the basis of race, color or national origin. It requires school districts to remove language barriers for ELL students and their families. Title VI also requires districts to take action regarding bullying based on race, color or national origin. The 14th Amendment guarantees all persons equal protection under U.S. laws.
Source: Library of Congress -
Bilingual Education Act passed
Congress amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by adding Title VII to help ELLs by providing federal aid for educational programs, teacher training, development of instructional materials and promotion of parent involvement. The law did not specify whether its central goal was to accelerate students’ transition to English or to promote bilingualism.
Source: Library of Congress -
Lau -v- Nichols case
This Supreme Court case was based on the San Francisco Unified School District's decision not to provide 1,800 ELLs with specific language instruction to improve their English proficiency. The unanimous ruling stated that failure to provide English language instruction to ELL students constituted a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act because it deprived those students of the opportunity to participate in public education.
Source: Library of Congress -
Plyler -v- Doe case
In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that denying enrollment or funding to schools that accept children whose families are illegal immigrants is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. “It is difficult to understand precisely what the state hopes to achieve by promoting the creation and perpetuation of a subclass of illiterates,” Justice William J. Brennan Jr. famously wrote. Source: Library of Congress -
No Child Left Behind Act passed
The No Child Left Behind Act was the centerpiece of President George W. Bush's domestic agenda. It replaced Title VII with Title III to allow states to distribute funding to local districts based on numbers of LEPs and immigrants. It also ushered in an era of "accountability" with required annual testing in grades 3-8 and sanctions for "failing" schools. ELLs must also be tested to ensure adequate yearly progress. Source: Library of Congress -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed
During his campaign, Obama was very critical of NCLB and people hoped he might overhaul it once in office. Instead, he supported it and upped the ante with his "Race to the Top" initiative that offered competitive grants to states that agreed to evaluate teachers on test scores. The emphasis on testing makes the struggles for ELLs even more difficult because they are trying to not only catch up but keep up with meeting rigorous standards.
Source: Library of Congress
