Caveat— I’ve been outside of thinking about the big education philosophy stuff for some time and this may well be a repackaging of a core debate I read tons about and forgot.
This morning I was thinking about whether we need the schools that prepare kids for the world we have or the world we want to create. I think a fair amount of disagreement lives between these two positions. Then there’s the secondary conflict among those who want schools that prepare kids for the world we want to create, because they disagree with what that future world should be.
This came to mind reading an expert who felt it was important to look past whether a program is labeled as bilingual, English transition, or many incarnations in between when considering if an instructional program is empowering.
No language program model is inherently empowering. I have observed dual language programs where the fluid use of English and Spanish that characterize US Latinx communities is heavily policed. In contrast, I have observed transitional and ESL programs where it is embraced.
— Nelson Flores (@nelsonlflores) November 14, 2022