Press Releases

02/27/2023
Governor Lamont Proposes Creating the English Learners’ Bill of Legal rights To Safeguard the Provision of Bilingual Education and learning
(BRIDGEPORT, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont these days held a information conference in Bridgeport to announce that he has submitted a legislative proposal to the Connecticut Typical Assembly setting up the English Learners’ Invoice of Rights in Connecticut state statutes to make it distinct to learners, dad and mom and guardians, educators, and college administrators the legal rights of English learners to get a high-quality education and learning in Connecticut community universities.
English learners are students who have been identified as possessing a dominant language other than English.
“I think there is almost nothing extra essential to a child’s education than an engaged and supportive mum or dad or guardian, and the English Learners’ Bill of Rights will promise that they have the information important to do so,” Governor Lamont explained. “Several weeks back, a team of mothers and fathers, students, legislators, and advocates held an function exterior my business to suggest the creation of this regulation and make clear its importance. Soon after hearing their tales and the relevance of this bill to their people, I comprehended. Their voices were being read in my workplace, and I hope we can all hear them.”
“In Connecticut, far more than 50{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of our student populace now identifies as non-white. Additionally, much more than 45,000 or 8.8{af0afab2a7197b4b77fcd3bf971aba285b2cb7aa14e17a071e3a1bf5ccadd6db} of our learners are recognized as English learners. This is why an English Learners’ Bill of Legal rights is so critical at this time,” Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker explained. “The Connecticut State Department of Instruction thanks the governor for introducing this legislation as it further more solidifies our historical motivation to making sure educational accessibility and fairness. It is crucial that we empower all of our English learners and families throughout the state to be energetic and engaged members of our school community.”
The laws directs the Point out Board of Training to draft a published English Learners’ Monthly bill of Legal rights that evidently and succinctly compiles present federal and point out laws and needs that safeguard and secure the provision of bilingual instruction. This invoice of rights must include things like, but not be confined to:
- The proper of an English learner university student to attend community faculty regardless of immigration position
- The appropriate of an English learner student to have a translator present at essential interactions with lecturers and administrators, these as mum or dad-trainer conferences and meetings with administrators
- The right of an English learner college student to participate in a method of bilingual education and learning when there are 20 or more suitable students labeled as dominant in a language other than English
- The appropriate of a father or mother or guardian of an English learner scholar to acquire written notice, in each English and their dominant language, that these types of scholar is qualified to take part in a plan of bilingual instruction
- The suitable of an English learner scholar and their mum or dad or guardian to get a substantial-high quality orientation session in their dominant language
- The appropriate of the father or mother or guardian of an English learner scholar to obtain data about the development of such student’s English language development and acquisition and meet up with with university staff to explore these issues
- The proper of an English learner scholar to be put in a application of bilingual instruction or English as a new language, if available by the school district
- The appropriate of an English learner pupil to have equal accessibility to all quality-level university programming and all core grade-stage subject issue
- The right of an English learner student to obtain once-a-year language proficiency testing
- The right of an English learner college student to obtain aid products and services aligned with any intervention approach that the faculty or school district delivers to all students
- The right of an English learner pupil to be continually and each year enrolled in a plan of bilingual education or English as a new language while these kinds of college student continues to be an qualified scholar and
- The ideal of a mother or father or guardian of an English learner pupil to make contact with the Condition Department of Education with any queries or worries about these kinds of student’s correct to receive English learner products and services or accommodations.
Additionally, the laws demands that each and every neighborhood and regional board of education supplying a software of bilingual training or English as a new language deliver the mother and father and guardians of suitable pupils with a duplicate of the English Learners’ Bill of Rights in the dominant language of such dad and mom and guardians, and make these files obtainable online.
The laws is Household Monthly bill 6663, An Act Developing the English Learners’ Bill of Rights. It currently staying thought of by the Schooling Committee.
- 
- Twitter: @GovNedLamont
- Facebook: Workplace of Governor Ned Lamont



