Ashley Kunkle

Language and Language Development

Professor Stephanie LaQua, M.Ed.
9 August 2015
Assignment 1A
Looking over the various cases associated with bilingual and equal education
opportunities for all students, I realized I have seen most of these cases before. Last year
was my first year teaching in California. It was the first time I was in a district that taught
you about bilingual and equal opportunity education of ELL students. I participated in the
SEI training last year through my district. During one of our full day trainings, we did a
jigsaw activity with expert and home groups. Each of the expert groups focused on a
specific historical case that helped shape our bilingual and ELL education in California.
My expert group worked on Lau vs. Nichols so that is what I will focus on in my
evaluation. I think bilingual education is a great way to help all students learn.
At my previous school in Bahrain, 98% of my students were ELL and many knew
more than two languages. Depending on the class, students were taught in Arabic and
English, but in the English classes the school expected for students to only speak English.
Most of the time, I did not follow this rule. I noticed that many of my students did better
if they were able to discuss some in Arabic and then work on vocalizing their thoughts in
English. I would also ask for translations if some students did not understand a concept I
was teaching. I did my best to help make each student successful with the variety of
levels in language acquisition. With no bilingual laws to play off in order to give students
more support, you just had to do the best you could! If the student couldnt learn at the

private English speaking school, they would just go to the government school and be
taught in Arabic. In moving to California, this is all so different! It is also different than
where I grew up; I dont even remember my high school having any bilingual classes I
dont even know if it was an option because the need was not there. Upon looking at the
Omaha Public Schools website, I see that certain schools do offer bilingual education.
At my current school, we have bilingual, SEI, and ELD classes. I like the different
levels of language used in the classrooms and I think it really helps my students learn in
the best environment if they are placed correctly. For example, at the beginning of the
year, I had a student placed in my class who spoke almost no English. I would ask her a
question, a student next to her would translate, then she would respond in Spanish. I
personally know nearly no Spanish. Once talking to the counselors, she was switched to
bilingual and ELD classes. I would not have been able to provide this student with the
education she deserved: and equal education. Lau vs. Nichols relates directly to this
situation. Lau vs. Nichols was a class suit brought on by the Chinese students and parents
in the San Francisco Unified School District. Parents claimed their students were not
given an equal education because they did not understand English well enough to
comprehend the school materials or even what the teachers were saying. Parents wanted
the school to give their students the tools needed to be successful. These tools included
materials in the students native language and instruction in the native language. Not only
did this case help the students, but it helped the parents as well. One of the Lau Remedies
states Parents will be notified in L1 about school events. This helps the parents be
aware of what is happening at their childs school and therefore they can play a role in
their childs education. I see the results of this court case being played out in my school

on a daily basis. We offer bilingual classes, mainly enrolled with Spanish speaking
students. For these classes, the teachers translate assignments and lessons. Then there are
the ELD classes, which focus on the language acquisition. Both teachers for ELD speak
Spanish as well. Lastly, there is SEI. I teach some SEI classes. I was given training last
year to help with SEI. During the training we learned different strategies for learning that
help promote verbal language skills. SEI embraces the students knowledge of their first
language and encourages them to use their first language to discuss in class (up to 20% of
instruction/materials/discussion can be in the first language) to help verbalize their
answers in English. It promotes working together to help create the best possible answer
in English. As a teacher, I think this helps scaffold for students and they are able to learn
without as much confusion.
The second case is the Williams Decision. The Williams Decision states that equal
educational facilities are necessary to educational equity. The emphasis on educational
facilities is necessary. How can a student learn if they are not comfortable? If they do not
have the resources? Learning about the Williams Decision brings light to the summary of
the Californias K-12 schools that I read for my Culture and Inclusion class. It
summarizes the amount of money spent per student on facilities in California schools.
over the years, California has fallen exponentially behind the national average in per
student spending. This is partially because of the higher numbers of students than tax
paying citizens. I think the Williams Decision is extremely important because
environment does matter! I remember in high school, my school was undergoing
renovations three of the four years of my enrollment. During that time, I had to sit to the
banging and clanking of the construction while trying to learn! I didnt have a ceiling in

my Biology classroom.. I also remember when I went to take the ACT for the first time;
the classroom was so hot I couldnt even concentrate. I was focused more on the heat and
how much I was sweating; it was difficult to focus on the readings and test questions.
Although both situations were temporary, some students are in a school that always has
leaky ceilings, loud noises and no security. I cant imagine having to teach in the
temperatures of Bahrain without air conditioning. School would have to be at night! The
last part of the Williams Decision showcased how school over-crowding makes it more
difficult students to learn. If a school doesnt have enough desks or materials for the
students, they cannot learn. Even when schools are not overcrowded, there are reasons
why there are class and student quotas. I have a hard time as a teacher trying to manage
and teach and aid the 40 students in some of my classes I cant imagine what it would be
like if my school was overcrowded.
Overall, our countrys schools have been in reform since the time they were
started. Some cases pushed us back, we were influence by world events, and slowly we
are trying to repair any damage done. There is always room for improvement in our
educational system. Im sure in twenty years we will have even more court cases to study
that have refined our educational environment. Hopefully, our country continues on its
forward growth and brings an even more equal and culturally unbiased education to the
playing field of the world.

Caroroll et. al. Californias K-12 Public School: How are They Doing?. Rand Education,
2004. Web. 2 August 2015.
Cattlett, Katy. Dual Language, Omaha Public Schools. Web. 9 August 2015.