| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The Lone Star State is home to a growing population |
|
|
of residents for whom English is not the primary language, yet |
|
|
English proficiency is critical to academic success and career |
|
|
advancement; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The future growth of the Texas economy is highly |
|
|
dependent on the availability of a well-educated workforce with |
|
|
strong communication skills; the expansion of bilingual education |
|
|
in public schools could be one means of raising the percentage of |
|
|
workers proficient in English, but many parts of Texas are |
|
|
experiencing a scarcity of bilingual education teachers; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, English language literacy for all Texas children is |
|
|
crucial, and as we seek to maintain our quality of life during the |
|
|
current national downturn and prepare for greater prosperity in the |
|
|
future, it is important to determine the best methods of developing |
|
|
a strong, capable workforce with the communications skills required |
|
|
for full participation in a dynamic world economy; now, therefore, |
|
|
be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|
|
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby request the Texas Higher |
|
|
Education Coordinating Board to study whether bilingual education |
|
|
should be designated as a critical field in postsecondary education |
|
|
and direct the board to explore the feasibility of providing |
|
|
scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial assistance to |
|
|
encourage college students in bilingual education to pursue |
|
|
teaching careers in the areas of Texas in greatest need of such |
|
|
expertise; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for the commissioner of higher education and the chair of |
|
|
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as an expression of |
|
|
legislative will and intent by the Texas House of Representatives. |