California Assembly Bill 2222 (see April issue, p. 9: “California Bill Would Mandate Science of Reading”), which would have required teachers to use the science of reading, has been withdrawn without a hearing.
The bill will not advance in the Legislature this year, according to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who explained that the bill should receive a “methodical” review by all key groups before there is a “costly overhaul” of how reading is taught in California.
Cheryl Ortega, director of bilingual education for United Teachers Los Angeles, released this statement to Language Magazine: “As a bilingual teacher, I am very happy to see the California Teachers’ Association (CTA) took an opposing position to AB 2222, the implementation of the science of reading (SoR). We now know that it actually died in committee in Sacramento. As a member of the Language Acquisition Committee of CTA State Council, I would like to share our official position on SoR.
“We strongly affirm the California Department of Education’s commitment to supporting the language development and literacy acquisition of English learners through appropriate instructional materials and differentiated approaches.
“We wholeheartedly align with the CTA policy’s recognition that one size does not fit all when it comes to reading instruction, and that ELs, in particular, require effective programs that address their specific needs.
“Believing that equal access to instruction does not indicate identical methods for all students, we strongly believe that appropriate programs be used when teaching students who are learning English whether they are instructed in English or in their home language.”