Honored members of Congress, my name is Amada Aranda, I live in Albuquerque, NM. I am the mother of 5 children. Although I was born in Mexico, my five children were born in the United States of America. We are in this country because we love it. We want our children to have all the opportunities this country has to offer. We want them to speak the language that is spoken in their country—English!

Our five children have been enrolled in bilingual education since they entered kindergarten. We, as parents, did not know that we had a choice on whether or not to place our children in bilingual education. The schools led us to believe that it was mandatory. Our children cannot speak good English, nor can they speak good Spanish. None of them can read or write effectively.

My daughter Maria is in middle school. She has suffered the most. Even at home, she cannot express herself in English or Spanish because she is afraid of making a mistake. The moment we ask her what she meant, she stops talking all together. It breaks my heart to see the damage bilingual education has done to her. Rather than placing her in English as a Second Language classes, they placed her in Special Education classes. The administrators insist that it is better for her.

My oldest daughter Lizet is sixteen years old. She has also been in bilingual education since kindergarten. Instead of giving her English as a Second Language, she too, was placed in Special Education because she could not read or write in English. My two daughters have not only suffered the humiliation of being placed in bilingual education, but Special Education as well. What a legacy!

The bilingual education program brings thirteen million dollars to Albuquerque each year from the state. But only the poor areas of Albuquerque are exploited for these dollars. And it makes no difference if the students are Hispanic, Anglo, Black, Native American or Asian. They are all counted.

However, the money is not used for bilingual education. There are no books, no teaching materials or properly certified teachers. New Mexico is a bilingual state. Yet, there is a shortage of bilingual teachers. Hispanic teachers do not like the program and refuse to get additional credits to become certified.

There are more than 90 bilingual teachers on waivers in our school district. These teachers do not speak enough Spanish to teach core curriculum, such as Math, Science, biology and subjects needed to enter college. English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are almost non-existent.

But that does not matter to the administration. The poor bring in money for bilingual education and learn nothing. When students cannot compete with their peers, they drop out of school and the next group of unsuspecting victims enter. The more the drop-out rate the more money the District can bring in as the result of these student failures. There is no incentive for success. And the abuses continue.

Teachers who complain about the bilingual program are harassed, intimidated—and some are fired. The poor don't have a voice. Anglo parents who complain about the bilingual program are banned from the school grounds. Long-time Spanish New Mexicans and Native Americans harbor ill feelings because they don't want to learn Spanish. Mexican and other Latinos never complain because administrators tell them that they will call the Immigration and Naturalization Service to report them. The Asians just suffer in silence.

There is no parent involvement in the bilingual program planing process. In secret meeting, administrators make up committees that list parents who have never attended a single meeting. Teachers frequently sign as parents on the required parental forms. Even elected parent representatives are not allowed access. Later, we find out that bilingual plans have been written and approved for services that will never be implemented.

The Center for Equal Opportunity was the answer to our prayers. We needed help. We do not want our children in a bilingual education program that has not worked. It has caused too much harm. There is too much suffering. When my daughter Lizet went on television to talk about our lawsuit against the Albuquerque Public Schools, a teacher began to intimidate and humiliate her in the classroom in front of her peers. She goes to school with a knot in her stomach.

Lizet has not been the only one to be harassed. An eleven year old Anglo student faced a different problem. After he went on television, the teachers were talking openly about the lawsuit in the classroom. A Native American classmate, who is also in bilingual education, became physical because the Anglo boy stated on television that all he was learning in bilingual education was how to make tacos. His native American classmate loved "TACOS" and punched him in the eye.

The drop-out rate is one of the highest in the state because these students have not been taught English. Over ninety nine percent of our poor students never go to college. Instead, they work in fast food places—in dead-end jobs—or they turn to crime because they can't read, write or speak English!

This is a national disgrace. Unless our children are taught to speak, read and write in the language of this country, we will lose our most precious commodity—our children, our future! We cannot, should not, and must not permit that to happen to innocent children. We must rescue them now. Thank you.