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New York City
October 2001

Bilingual Funds Cut

The Bilingual Categorical Funds support 13 Bilingual/ESL Education Technical Assistance Centers (BETACS) across the state.

“BETACS provide critical help to schools struggling to educate students speaking over 140 different languages, and help educate their parents so they can help their children. School districts and schools want these programs to continue. However, they have run out of funding, and are starting to close them down,” said Pedro Ruiz, president of the New York State Association for Bilingual Education. “The BETAC in the Capital District, run by the Questar BOCES, has given lay-off notices to their staff that are effective September 30th and the BETAC in New York City have been working since June without pay, but they too will be shutting down. We need Governor Pataki and the Legislature to restore funding now, before it is too late.”

“Schools are making progress in helping newcomer students who are not proficient in English to meet the new standards. But without the Bilingual Categorical Funds, the schools will not have to the tools to help these students learn English and meet the standards,” said Cynthia Wiseman, president of the New York State Teachers on English to Speakers of Other Languages.

“If the Bilingual Categorical Funds are not restored immediately, we will be creating an educational disaster for LEP/ELL students,” warned McHugh. “Dropout rates are already at record levels for these students. Over 30 per cent of ELLs in the Class of 2000 dropped out within four years in New York City, a fraction more than those who manage to graduate. It is largely due to the programs and services provided through the Bilingual Categorial Funds that roughly 30 per cent graduated. Without these programs dropout rates will skyrocket and graduation rates will plummet.”

 

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