Opening Remarks by Assistant Superintendent David Bautista
12/10/2013
Good Morning, Buenos Dias, Dobra Utra, Chao boy chang:
It is a historical moment that we are gathered to work on the preparation of one of the best programs for students.
But before I continue, I would like to acknowledge the hard work of Dr. Martha Martinez; she has been instrumental in all the pieces of this grant. I would also like to recognize the unconditional support of Dr. Markisha Smith, Kim Miller, Leslie Casebeer, Victoria Garcia, Tim Blackburn and Rudyane Rivera-Lindstrom, besides others.
Returning to the historical moment of this project, when the legislature approved strategic investment initiatives, we were and we are more than one hundred percent sure that Two-Way Bilingual programs are “A world class education model for all our students.” To this point there are schools in the U.S. that are already working with three languages. The State of Utah has embarked in the ambitious project of having all of their school districtsdual language. Since 2010 they’ve come to the conclusionthat to get ahead in the world you need more than one language. In their projects they have Spanish, French, Chinese and Portuguese.
Do they have the teachers? No, but they follow the common knowledge of “build it and they will come!”
In Oregon, this historical moment provides an opportunity to work as a network, collaborating and learning from each other’s accomplishments but also from the challenges we will face.
With the careful work done by Dr. Martinez in selecting the best of the best when it comes to research, theory and practice, Dr. Kathryn Lindholm-Leary and Dr. Rosa Molina and her team emerge as devoted researchers, practitioners and proven scholars in this field.
This recognition goes for our districts and schools that have taken the responsibility to apply, plan, implement and monitor a world class Two-Way Educational program. Thank you to your Board of Directors, Superintendents, Principals and teachers that have committed to make this program happen with quality, fidelity, intensity and consistency as the research dictates.
My hope is that we don’t succumb to educational fashions and egos, but we understand that education is complex and successful educational formulas don’t come in a script or in a particular schedule. Education is a cultural endeavor in which the social human interaction is the richness of what we do. In engaging the student, showing his/her strength and articulating their creativity and nurturing their curiosity, we will have inspired bilingual-bi-literate students.