How disheartening that the editorial board of The Oregonian manifests fundamental ignorance of the principles of acquiring a second language. This is apparent in its facile, uninformed suggestion:
We'd urge the state to look at the funding side as carefully as the instructional side: Does it make sense to give districts an extra $3,000 per year, per ELL student, in perpetuity? Should there be a five-year time limit on payments? What about $5,000 for the first year, allowing for more intensive and personalized instruction, then tapering to $1,000 a year? ("A new language for Oregon ELL", October 3, 2012)
The cognitive/academic demands on English Language Learners increase as they grow in proficiency. The requirements to use language in ever more sophisticated and nuanced ways demands perhaps more attention to individual student needs than when a student is learning basic communication skills. Tapering funding makes no sense.
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