The president’s appeal last weekend for immigrants to learn English set the tone for a Montgomery County initiative to bolster English-language education in next year’s budget.
County officials announced plans Monday to increase funding 30 percent to $1.3 million next year, citing a critical need and calling the increase an investment in the region’s future.
“Immigrants have transformed our country not just now but for generations, and we believe that is our strength: our diversity,” said Council Member Tom Perez, D-District 5. “People who can learn English, who want to learn English, should have that opportunity.”
Montgomery County organizations teach English to about 32,000 people a year, with a waiting list of 2,200 more. The $300,000 increase would help educate nearly 600 more each year, cutting the waiting list by 25 percent.
This would bring the county contribution to English language instruction on par with the federal allocation of $1.3 million and more than four times the state’s $300,000, Perez said.
Council Member Marilyn Praisner, D-District 4, called English-language skills essential to economic growth, saying immigrants who gain these skills can start their own businesses or excel in the work force.
“I can remember as a child the stories my grandparents told me about the need to learn English and the difficulty of learning it at home,” Praisner said.
Homebuilder Rich Thometz said most workers he employs are immigrants and English skills are vital on the construction site.
“We work under very complex regulatory and safety laws, and a comprehensive understanding of English is essential to maintain safety and quality control,” Thometz said.
In Miami, English-language education has long been a priority, he said, and today foreign-born entrepreneurs who picked up their language skills in this country run most construction companies there.
The $300,000 allocation goes beyond the county executive’s $1 million budget proposal, and Perez said the council will look to fund this project during budget talks that extend through the month of May.
