By James Crawford

Teachers in Los Angeles wear gags at a July board of educators meeting to protest the passages of Proposition 227.

Opinion polls reported contradictory findings about voters' intentions. Most respondents endorsed flexibility for local school districts in educating limited-English-proficient (LEP) children. But on election day, 61% cast their ballots for a single statewide approach. So perhaps it is fitting that, months later, the impact of Proposition 227 remains contradictory as well.

One thing is clear: the new law has been disruptive for schools, confusing for teachers, and traumatic for students. While its implementation varies from district to district, this year English learners are getting far less help in their native tongues. Many have been removed from successful programs and placed in a crash course in English.

Yet some bilingual education survives, thanks to continuing support from parents and educators.

The initiative itself is ambiguous. It requires that LEP students be taught "overwhelmingly in English" through a "sheltered immersion" approach "not normally intended to exceed one year." Once they have acquired "a good working knowledge of English," children must be transferred to mainstream classrooms. After 30 days of English-only instruction - no exceptions - parents may request "waivers" of the rule, but a child under age 10 must have "special needs" to qualify for bilingual instruction.