Dr. Jill Kerper Mora talks about how the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) blocked the Science of Reading legislation AB2222
This week, I interviewed Dr. Jill Kerper Mora. In the interview, Jill explained how and why the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) blocked the Science of Reading legislation AB2222 in California last year. She played an important role in that process. The lessons she learned will be helpful to anyone trying to stop the adoption of cookie-cutter SOR legislation that is currently sweeping the nation. I think it is an important part of developing the new story about literacy that P.L. Thomas is calling for LINK.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
February 2025
Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D.
Jill Kerper Mora is Associate Professor Emerita from the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. Dr. Mora’s career as a biliteracy educator began in Texas, where she was an elementary bilingual teacher, a secondary Spanish teacher, and a consultant for the Texas Education Agency’s Region IV Service Center in Houston. She has engaged in scholarship, leadership and teaching as a university teacher educator specializing in preparing teachers for work with culturally and linguistically diverse students in Texas, California, and Mexico. She brings an international perspective to the arena of Spanish language and literacy education. Dr. Mora served as Resident Director of the California State University International Program and Mexico Bilingual Teacher Credential Program in 2003 to 2005.
Dr. Mora has received numerous honors and awards for her activism and scholarship. In 2002, she received the California Association for Bilingual Education Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarly Activity in recognition of her MoraModules Website for biliteracy and English language development educators. In 2009, Dr. Mora was recognized with the Promoting Biliteracy Award from the Two-way California Association for Bilingual Education for her strong advocacy for educational equity for language minority students.
In her active retirement, Dr. Mora continues to work as an author of professional books for dual language teachers and as a consulting author with Benchmark Education Company. She maintains her MoraModules Website at moramodules.com. The website includes a Book Companion Website to accompany her textbook Spanish Language Pedagogy for Biliteracy Programs (2016) with Montezuma Publishing. Dr. Mora’s book co-authored with Silvia Dorta-Duque de Reyes titled Biliteracy and cross-cultural teaching: A framework for standards-based transfer instruction in dual language programs will be published with Brookes Publishing in 2025.
Here are the timed stamped talking points for the interview (so, you can go to the sections that interest you the most first)
Here is a link to the U-Tube Interview:
Mora’s Website LINK:
The LINK to MORA’s article in the 50th-anniversary edition of the CABE Multilingual Educator published in the Spring of 2025. The article appears on page 42.
Mora’s Resources:
Science of Reading: A Critique | MoraModules
Dual Language Researcher Fact-checks SoR | MoraModules
Dual Language Researcher Fact-checks SoR Claim 5 | MoraModules
CCTE Conference SoR Pushback Panel | MoraModules
Multilingual Educator 2025 50th Anniversary Edition Mora Article
Final Thoughts
There are some critics of the folks who question the rush to SoR currently sweeping the nation, saying those that oppose it are ignoring/denying the research. I respectfully disagree with them. What is actually going on is that folks are looking at ALL THE RESEARCH, not just the research that supports one narrow and self-serving point of view. In the case of California, there was already a working set of practices in place and a curriculum backed by decades of research that was especially relevant to the population being served. The proponents of one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter reform use the public relations tactic of discount and discredit. They claim they are replacing “failed practices” with no “research base.” As with all things to do with research, the devil is in the details. What the California folks were able to do was show that what they were doing fit the population they served and actually had a substantial research base. I’m not saying we don’t need reform. Rather, I’m saying look at all the research, try to find common ground of best practices, and make the reforms fit the needs of the particular population being served in each state. Dare to Dream.
Happy Reading and Writing,
Dr. Sam Bommarito (aka, the guy in the center taking flak from all sides)
Copyright 2025 by Dr. Sam Bommarito. Views/interpretations expressed here are solely this author’s views and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other person or organization. PS If you found the blog through Facebook or Twitter, please consider following it to ensure you won’t miss future posts. Us
As the parent of two kids who used to be in California public schools before I pulled them out I urge all parents in California districts that use any balanced literacy programs you need to ensure your child is getting outside reading tutoring, from the beginning. The problem has been amply documented by the California Reading Coalition and Fulcrum. We have won legal battles in key districts, such as Berkeley Unified. However, resistance is deeply institutionally rooted. So if your child is struggling, get outside help. Better still, start with outside tutoring from the beginning and let up when you’re confident your child’s reading skills are solid. That’s not equitable. But systematic change isn’t a possibilty, in the short term. We need as many strong readers as possible.
As a teacher who has used what some may label as balanced literacy to get the best results in the state for the Title One sudents in my building, WHEN DONE PEOPERLY there is no merit to the charge that these methods are “failed practicwa” Phonics instruction is ONE important element of a reading program and I think you will find the newest versions of Units of Study include strong structured versions of teaching phonics. BTW the recent fall in NAEP scores in being laid at the feet of SOR and the fact is that during the Balanced Literacy era scores remained level, did not go down. Review the data around both LTRS and OG and you will see that these are showing signs of being “failed practices” I’ll share some of that research in future blogs.