Dual Language Education of New Mexico

The Coalition for the Majority

Legislative Platform 2013-14

The Coalition for the Majority represents professional organizations and individuals who are concerned with the education of New Mexico’s “majority-minority” student population, approximately 71% of its public school enrollment in the state of New Mexico. 

New Mexico has a rich history of bilingualism and Bilingual Education, and the state continues to benefit from its diverse languages and cultures. The Coalition for the Majority’s proposal would provide the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act with several missing components, including:

1. An advisory council to ensure fulfillment of the purposes of the Act and to guarantee that any new statewide initiatives consider New Mexico’s entire student population;

2. A means to ensure that all students of the state can be recognized for attainment of bilingualism/biliteracy; and

3. Statewide technical assistance agencies supported to help districts ensure the implementation of the most effective, high-quality programs possible, while they also work hand-in-hand with NMPED and LEAS to achieve new statewide initiatives. This is a relatively small investment to make, considering the potential academic and linguistic outcomes for our state’s minority-majority student population.

 Below is your opportunity to endorse this important Legislative Platform:

Electronic Endorsement Click Here

Download the Platform  The Coalition of the Majority - Legislative Platform

Dual Language Current Events

This valuable archive of recent periodical literature and important policy reports related to dual language education is the work of James Lyons—policy attorney, analyst, advocate, and activist—in collaboration with the staff at Dual Language Education of New Mexico. Check out these articles for information and resources to support your advocacy

 If you have an article to share and include in this archive, please send to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Click Here to Access Articles

Congratulations to the two winners from the 2nd National Spanish Spelling Bee - Judith Villa, a fifth grader from Sunland Park Elementary in the Gadsden Independent School District in Anthony, N.M., and Joana Fernandez, an eighth-grader from Rio Rancho Middle School in the Rio Rancho Public Schools.

To read the full story go to NBCLATINO

"As part of the American Graduate Project, New Mexico PBS has identified dual language education as a powerful strategy for closing the achievement gap and improving high school graduation rates. This mini-documentary highlights the classroom work of DLeNM Board Treasurer Gilberto Lobo and the success of some of his former dual language students from Truman Middle School in Albuquerque, NM."

Click here for documentary

Listen first-hand to students' perspectives on their dual language enrichment experiences.

Produced by the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota, Language Immersion Education in Minnesota is a 15-minute video on the role language immersion programs can play in addressing Minnesota’s achievement gap and preparing its children to compete in the global economy. The video unites the voices of researchers and community leaders with those of immersion practitioners and their students.

Click here for video

This week on the KUNM Call-In Show, DLeNM’s Executive Director David Rogers and David Briseño the Executive Director from NMABE joined Elaine Baumgartel in a conversation about dual language education in New Mexico. Listen to the broadcast !

This policy brief represents the desires of a coalition of New Mexico and national leaders in bilingual education to shape a new Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that addresses the needs of second language learners, the fastest growing and most educationally needy student population in the United States.

Sponsoring Organizations: 

-        Center for the Education and Study of Diverse Populations – Highlands University , Dual Language Education of New Mexico, New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education,  Alliance for Multilingual Multicultural Education

Author:  James J. Lyons, Esquire     ESEA Policy Brief

The Speaking in Tongues website contains a host of resources including video extras, a companion study guide for the DVD, links to research about the benefits of multilingualism and much more. Here is a link you can go to more information on getting involved:

http://speakingintonguesfilm.info/get-involved/ 

Click Here for the latest news!

These two videos are from the Cultura series that is hosted by David Briseño.  In both videos he is interviewing David Rogers, the Executive Director of Dual Language Education of New Mexico

The first video will discuss the implications of NCLB on dual language programs the second the community’s need to understand and advocate for dual language.

Click here to view videos (Please allow plenty of time for the video to load).

See and hear a teacher and students from Marymount International School in Rome describe the importance of maintaining their native language and culture while they study other languages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tFA0lPeSjU

New Mexico Guidelines/Resources

Sturgis Report. Positioning for the Possible in New Mexico

DLeNM and NMABE Legislative Positions (76.74 kB)

New Mexico Bilingual Multicultural Education Act

New Mexico Technical Assistance Manual

HB 241 Public School Funding Formula Change

Find Your Legislator! Here is helpful information information for identifying and contacting your New Mexico state legislators.

Click here for videos with testimonies from parents.

Parent of a recent dual language graduate shares the challenges and successes of her family's dual language experience from birth to the first days of college.

 Reflections of a Dual Language Mom

My Child is Bilingual!

Manuel Ornelas Principal East Central ISD San Antonio Texas

with dual language teachers.

In this presentation, East Central ISD parents and students share experiences in dual language programs—from skepticism to advocacy.

Both parents and teachers share their observations of the students’ dynamics in the home and at school.

Target audience: Classroom teachers, district and site administrators, policy makers...

Segments: This video is presented in five segments with a total running of about 66 minutes.