The State Board of Education has backed away -- at least for now -- from taking a stand on an "English only" ballot-initiative petition recirculating in Utah.
The board Tuesday was somewhat expected to pass a resolution, proposed by its Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee, essentially opposing efforts to make English Utah's official language.But members voted 10-5 to table the matter after learning the initiative wouldn't affect public schools. They also wanted more time to talk to attorneys and read the initiative, which backers hope to put on the November ballot.
But Tuesday's action angered some committee members.
"I was hoping they would pass this resolution . . . if they were going to do it, they would have (done) it today," said Jeanetta Williams, president of Salt Lake's chapter of the NAACP. "I don't want them to sweep this issue under the rug."
An English-only push captured headlines two years ago when Rep. Tammy Rowan, R-Orem, launched two controversial, unsuccessful runs on a bill to make English Utah's official language. The bill aimed to require all public documents to be printed and meetings spoken in English.
An initiative petition, which received nearly 40,000 signatures in 1998, started recirculating in the past 10 days or so, Rowan said. The initiative must receive more than 67,000 signatures to be placed on the November ballot, but signatures gathered two years ago carry over to the current effort.
"When we make it convenient and easy to not learn English . . . it takes away that extra push to learn English," Rowan said.
But committee chairwoman Janice Schroeder took exception to such comments.
"You will not interview one person in this country who doesn't want his or her son or daughter to speak English," she said. "Our Creator created us to speak the language he chose. . . . We're not asking for tolerance; we're asking for acceptance."
The proposed school board resolution stated the initiative is "neither educationally productive nor consistent with the mission of public education and . . . therefore, unnecessary." It encouraged support of cultural diversity.
The proposal emerged from the committee's report to the board last month. The report said an "English only" initiative is divisive, violates basic human rights and could make parents feel unwelcome at school. Also discussed were fears the initiative could impact schools' child nutrition, special education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs.
But schools and colleges wouldn't be affected by the initiative petition, Rowan told the board. To be exempt, schools would have to promote certain principles, including helping non-English speakers learn the language as quickly as possible, expanding ESL programs and encouraging foreign language instruction.
"You can clearly see this is not something that is going to harm education," Rowan told the board. "I hope before the State Board of Education passes judgment on the initiative, they have read it."
The initiative also exempts Native American nations, plus certain health services, court proceedings, police and fire activities, libraries and tourism efforts. It would not prohibit anyone from speaking any language they want, and money saved by not printing documents in other languages could be used for ESL programs, the initiative states.
The state school board could discuss the matter again if a majority of its members votes to do so.