Bilingual Education in Public Schools For the past thirty years in the State of California, bilingual education has been undertaken by all public schools in the state. Under that system, children of non-American ethnicity received special treatment early in their academic careers. Various topics were designed for children from minority groups in their native language. These subjects are mathematics, history and some science lessons. The bilingual program presented the student with a school curriculum that simultaneously instructed students in all required lessons while teaching them the English language. For this method, bilingual teachers were the focal point for the success of individual students at all grade levels. Before Proposition 227, California's programs for immigrant students included English as a second language, in which students were taught the English language for part of the year. day and bilingual education, in which students took classes taught in their native language until their English improved. The bilingual education system was first legally introduced by Governor R. Reagan in 1967. Reagan, as governor of California, signed a bill eliminating the state's English. teaching mandate only and allowing for bilingual education. Proposal 227, which reformed the thirty-year-old law, went into effect on June 2, 1998. The proposal introduces a new way to teach the English language to immigrant children. This proposal is also called “English for the Children” or simply the Unz initiative after its author and main financier, Ron K. Unz, a Silicon Valley millionaire and conservative Republican who has no children or experience in education and does not has ever set foot in a bilingual education classroom. “The Unz initiative includes a year of courses held in English, with particular attention to learning the language; a system that many fear is a return to the past in which children were sometimes punished for speaking Spanish, but which others say is a return to sanity,” said Don Terry in his article Bilingual Education Faces Its Toughest Test . Additionally, one of the most controversial points of the plan involves a waiver system under which parents who prefer “native language” instruction for their children can request that children be removed from English immersion classes. The request will be granted if they can find the parents of twenty or more children...... middle of paper ......achers thought I spoke Spanish. I found the English language quite easy to learn, and I also have to thank many of the English-speaking friends I met then for teaching me slang and who spent time with me outside of school. Math and Economics were easy for me, I can confidently say that I had one of the highest grades compared to my English speaking classmates. The main problems I had were communication skills, both writing and speaking English proved to be the biggest challenge for me during that year. My need to communicate with others encouraged me to master the language within the first two years; many of my friends were surprised at how good my English was. Despite the foreign accent, they all agreed that my English was very efficient. Overall, I appreciate the year I spent in high school learning the language, I believe all new immigrant students should take such classes. They have had a very positive impact on my life. In conclusion, I believe that all races should master the English language as quickly as possible, because it is”.”.