The goal of ParentAdvocates.org
is to put tax dollar expenditures and other monies used or spent by our federal, state and/or city governments before your eyes and in your hands.
Through our website, you can learn your rights as a taxpayer and parent as well as to which programs, monies and more you may be entitled...and why you may not be able to exercise these rights.
Mission Statement
is to put tax dollar expenditures and other monies used or spent by our federal, state and/or city governments before your eyes and in your hands.
Through our website, you can learn your rights as a taxpayer and parent as well as to which programs, monies and more you may be entitled...and why you may not be able to exercise these rights.
Mission Statement
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The E-Accountability Foundation announces the
'A for Accountability' Award
to those who are willing to whistleblow unjust, misleading, or false actions and claims of the politico-educational complex in order to bring about educational reform in favor of children of all races, intellectual ability and economic status. They ask questions that need to be asked, such as "where is the money?" and "Why does it have to be this way?" and they never give up. These people have withstood adversity and have held those who seem not to believe in honesty, integrity and compassion accountable for their actions. The winners of our "A" work to expose wrong-doing not for themselves, but for others - total strangers - for the "Greater Good"of the community and, by their actions, exemplify courage and self-less passion. They are parent advocates. We salute you.
Winners of the "A":
Johnnie Mae Allen
David Possner
Dee Alpert
Aaron Carr
Harris Lirtzman
Hipolito Colon
Larry Fisher
The Giraffe Project and Giraffe Heroes' Program
Jimmy Kilpatrick and George Scott
Zach Kopplin
Matthew LaClair
Wangari Maathai
Erich Martel
Steve Orel, in memoriam, Interversity, and The World of Opportunity
Marla Ruzicka, in Memoriam
Nancy Swan
Bob Witanek
Peyton Wolcott
[ More Details » ]
'A for Accountability' Award
to those who are willing to whistleblow unjust, misleading, or false actions and claims of the politico-educational complex in order to bring about educational reform in favor of children of all races, intellectual ability and economic status. They ask questions that need to be asked, such as "where is the money?" and "Why does it have to be this way?" and they never give up. These people have withstood adversity and have held those who seem not to believe in honesty, integrity and compassion accountable for their actions. The winners of our "A" work to expose wrong-doing not for themselves, but for others - total strangers - for the "Greater Good"of the community and, by their actions, exemplify courage and self-less passion. They are parent advocates. We salute you.
Winners of the "A":
Johnnie Mae Allen
David Possner
Dee Alpert
Aaron Carr
Harris Lirtzman
Hipolito Colon
Larry Fisher
The Giraffe Project and Giraffe Heroes' Program
Jimmy Kilpatrick and George Scott
Zach Kopplin
Matthew LaClair
Wangari Maathai
Erich Martel
Steve Orel, in memoriam, Interversity, and The World of Opportunity
Marla Ruzicka, in Memoriam
Nancy Swan
Bob Witanek
Peyton Wolcott
[ More Details » ]
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Stories & Grievances
The Shocking False Claims of Bilingual Education in New York City - the Truth is Actually Much Worse
Out of the city's 100,000-plus bilingual students, only 4,000-plus made the grade when solid standards were applied. By any standard, these numbers are unacceptable.
The fraud of bilingual ed
Editorial, Daily News, September 26, 2004 LINK Bilingual education in New York City has long been a disaster. For decades, advocates and teachers have debated whether bilingual classes are a cultural necessity or debilitating crutch. Whether classes should be half-English or English-only with help to learn the language. As they argued, thousands languished in academic backwaters, never learning to read, write or speak English. Now, an even bigger scandal is emerging. For years, the school system has reported that about 20% of the children in bilingual programs scored high enough on standardized tests to be deemed proficient in English. They were then moved into the general school population. Managing to help only one in five make the grade is nothing to boast about, but the reality was much worse. It turns out that most of those students had not mastered English after all. The true number was probably closer to a handful. That, depressingly, is the only fair conclusion to be drawn from newly disclosed data for the 2003 school year. Until then, the school system had administered the same English exams from one year to the next. Anyone who scored higher than the 40th percentile - yes, the 40th - was deemed proficient. In 2003, state education officials decided the tests left a lot to be desired and ordered new exams that measured children in reading, writing, listening and speaking, not just in reading and writing as had previously been the case. The new tests also were calibrated for grade levels. The passing rate fell to below 4%. Let's pause on that number because it translates to this shocking fact: Out of the city's 100,000-plus bilingual students, only 4,000-plus made the grade when solid standards were applied. And those who failed included children who have been in the program for far longer than three years, the period of time in which students are expected to learn English. The test results for 2004 were slightly better - the pass rate climbed to a still abysmal 7.5% - thanks to stepped-up English instruction. One consequence is that the number of students in bilingual programs is rising because kids aren't being dumped out under a false pretense of English proficiency. They need help, fast. |
© 2003 The E-Accountability Foundation![]()
