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Side effects of confronting English language competency
State Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said lawmakers are often confronted with a conundrum when pushing for English-language proficiency requirements for high school graduates.
Romer said what made Senate Bill 212, co-sponsored by Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, different was the bipartisan nature of the bill.
“He and I both used a very practical but determined voice on pushing the concepts of English competency, which we think is key to the civic dialogue for our country,” Romer said. “And I think when Republicans do it, there’s always a risk that people argue that it’s racist and anti-Hispanic.
“You know, when a Democrat pushes this, it’s like, ‘How dare you talk about English only.’”
The legislation requires that state policymakers, “describe the level of English language competency that a student must demonstrate in order to demonstrate postsecondary and workforce readiness,” and incorporate that competency requirement into the state’s content standards.
A similar measure from Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, and Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, died in the House Education Committee at the end of the session. The measure would have allowed school districts to implement stricter English-language competency standards than set forth in Senate Bill 212.
*Romer photo shot by Political Notebook. Penry photo from The Daily Sentinel archives.
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