Propositions 51 and 58 approved in california
As the whole country voted for its next president, California residents voted on important propositions ranging from legalization of recreational marijuana to increased bonds for the improvement and construction of school facilities. In propositions concerning education, the focus was mainly on Propositions 51 and 58. Both propositions passed, with Proposition 51 receiving a 54 percent approval and Proposition 58 receiving a 72 percent approval.
According to Ballotpedia, Proposition 51 supports the state issuing $9 billion in bonds for the improvement and construction of new school facilities. It will also remodel school facilities to be more resistant to earthquakes, better accommodate those who are handicapped and remove asbestos, lead paint and pipes. In addition, this proposition will also decrease class sizes, benefitting students by giving them an opportunity to receive more individualized attention from teachers.
With the additional funds that will become available through Proposition 51, Calculus teacher Brian Hults explained what improvements it can make on campus.
“Our elevator is not the most reliable since it breaks down every day, but [in general] everything is safe,” Hults said. “We will take whatever improvements we can get, but I do not think that we are hurting for them. There are schools way worse off than our school, and they should be the first priority of Prop 51.”
Proposition 58, designed to create a combined classroom of native and non-native English speaking students, will allow teachers to speak more than one language to their students. This will help students who do not understand English learn the material in their native language. During the course of the class, the spoken language will switch from English to the language that the foreign students share. The goal of this dual-immersion program is to have the students in the class have proficient mastery in two languages and, therefore, become bilingual. This proposition will require the insight of both parents and guardians concerning all aspects of how the English Language Development (ELD) programs are handled. Students are not required to take part in the dual-language classes, so it is not a requirement for them to enroll in the class.
Senior Mahiro Suzuki came from Japan at age 15 and could only speak very limited English. She accommodated by taking ELD courses and explains how she felt during that time.
“On my first day at Peninsula, I could not understand what my ELD teacher was saying. I had to communicate with her through the Teacher’s Assistant,” Suzuki said. “I expected to understand what [my teacher] was saying since I had practiced English a little bit in Japan before I came here, but I could not. To think that future ELD students will have the opportunity to learn in a classroom where they can communicate with the teacher in their native language is comforting.”
