California legislators are looking to repeal a decade-old law that banned bilingual education. Who should be the next Lakers coach--and will screenwriter Dustin Lance Black speak at Pasadena City College's commencement? Then, should broadband internet be regulated like a public utility? Later, a look at new federal sexual assault guidelines for colleges.
Are dual-language programs vital for future student success? Calif. lawmakers rethink old law
Fifteen years after California voters approved a bill that made bilingual education in public schools practically illegal, lawmakers are taking a second look.
Enacted in 1998, Proposition 227 changed the way that students with limited English proficiency are taught, immersing them in English only curricula, and making dual-language programs more cumbersome and unpractical.
New efforts to address educational and demographic changes since then led the California Senate Education Committee to recommend a bill to repeal Prop 227 Wednesday. The proposal would restore bilingual education programs in the state and could make the 2016 ballot.
Dual language immersion programs have flourished in California in the decade and a half since Prop 227 became law, raising doubts that the assertions made by proponents of the bill, that bilingual education would be detrimental to California students, were well-founded.
Proponents of English-only learning environments claim that students who are distracted by more than one language do not master either language of study. Supporters of bilingual education point to the success of dual-language programs and see increased globalization as just one reason why all California students should learn more than one language.
Does learning more than one language put an unnecessary burden on students? Should students for whom English is a second-language focus solely on mastering it? Are dual-language programs better-preparing California students for the future?
Guest:
Senator Ricardo Lara, (D-Bell Gardens), California State Senator for the 33rd District, author of SB 1147, which would put a measure on the ballot overturning Prop. 227, which limits public school instruction to English-only
Karin Davenport, Director of Communications, U.S.ENGLISH, the nation's oldest, largest citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the US
Who could be the next Lakers head coach now that Mike D’Antoni has resigned?
Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni resigned last night after less than two seasons.
He's the fourth head coach of the team in less than three years. D'Antoni took over the team from Mike Brown, who was fired at the start of the 2012-13 season. This season, the injury-plagued Lakers had the franchise's second-worst winning percentage, finishing 27-55.
"Given the circumstances, I don't know that anybody could have done a better job than Mike did the past two seasons," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said.
"On behalf of the Lakers, we thank Mike for the work ethic, professionalism and positive attitude that he brought to the team every day. We wish him the best of luck."
Others were less polite. "Happy days are here again!" Magic Johnson tweeted. "Mike D'Antoni resigns as the Lakers coach. I couldn't be happier!"
By resigning, D’Antoni walked away from a contract worth $4 million. He might get some of the money as severance.
Who’s likely to replace D’Antoni? Who would you want to see coaching the Lakers next season?
Guest:
Jeff Zillgitt, NBA reporter for USA TODAY sports . He tweets at @JeffZillgitt
With Mark Walsh out, PCC re-invites Dustin Lance Black as commencement speaker
Pasadena City College reinvited alumnus Dustin Lance Black to speak at its commencement ceremony after the college’s board deliberated in a closed 90-minute session Wednesday evening.
Black had been dismissed as a candidate after nude photos of him having unprotected sex with a man surfaced on the internet.In an interview with truthdig.com, Black said that PCC’s administration was "discriminatory, toxic and dishonest.”
He added that the issue was still “in talks” with a legal team, who was to ensure Black was compensated for costs, damages and flights.
Prior to the board’s decision, the college had announced Dr. Eric Walsh as Black’s replacement. Walsh, however, pulled out of the ceremony due to “unforeseen scheduling conflicts.”
School administrators are content with the decision, as Mark Rocha told the LA Times he felt they had done the right thing.
Should Black accept the invitation to speak despite being removed from the ceremony by the college?
Guest:
Christine Michaels, Editor-in-Chief of PCC Courier who’s been following the story
Should the government regulate the internet like the telephone system?
Should broadband internet providers be regulated like the highway system or the electric grid? That's what many supporters of net neutrality want, ever since a federal appeals court struck down in January the Federal Communications Commission's Open Internet rules.
Supporters of the idea, including former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, argue that the internet has replaced traditional phone service as the primary mode of communications in the country, which justifies a FCC reclassification of high-speed internet service as a "common carrier"--a public utility-like entity that should be placed under stricter regulation.
Opponents of the proposal include the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the cable industry's main lobbying group.
At its annual conference in Los Angeles this week, NCTA's chief executive blasted the idea, saying that the best way to ensure growth, innovation, and the spread of broadband access is to leave the industry alone.
Guests:
Craig Aaron, Executive Director and President of Free Press, a nonpartisan organization advocating for universal and affordable internet access and diverse media ownership
Jeffrey Eisenach, Director of the Center for Internet, Communications, and Technology Policy at the American Enterprise Institute
How do new federal guidelines on campus sexual assault balance rights of victims and the accused?
Mounting victim outrage and reports of mishandled sexual assault cases prompted President Obama to appoint a special task force to take a deeper look at college campuses.
After a ninety day look at fifty schools of various sizes, their findings prompted the White House to lay out detailed guidelines for universities. Announced this week, the guidelines include rules governing victim confidentiality, plans to develop better prevention strategies, and guidelines for handling allegations.
The White House has also called for greater transparency and has launched a website for colleges to report sexual assault incidents, Notalone.gov. There, students can also find out how to file a complaint of a sexual assault incident, find resources for seeking help, and check a map to see if enforcement actions have been taken on their campus.
Some college officials and attorneys are now worried that the rights of those accused may be infringed upon. Title IX investigations that don’t necessarily lead to criminal justice proceedings are often conducted behind closed doors, and the details of the incident are often murky and sometimes involve alcohol and vague recollections. Some are worried that accused students may not have access to fair hearings.
Advocates of accusers claim that, historically, colleges have failed to address claims when the circumstances are murky, at the detriment of the victims and often to the advantage of the accused. They claim that the obligation of schools is to protect the survivors and welcome the guidelines presented by the Obama Administration as a good first step.
Do the guidelines announced by the White House fairly address the concerns of both victims advocates and the accused? Will greater transparency infringe on the rights of those accused of misconduct who are never criminally charged?
Guests:
Mark Hathaway, private defense attorney in Los Angeles whose practice includes students and others accused of sexual misconduct.
Fatima Goss Graves, Vice President for Education and Employment at the National Women’s Law Center