B8 The cooler air thatmoved in overnight


sticks around, and when you add in a good number of clouds, we probably end up with near- or just-below-average temperatures. Highs are likely reach the low andmid-40s.Winds remain light.


EZ


RE


KLMNO


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Md. lawmakers will weigh tuition cut maryland from B1


grants,would be the latest state to wade into the often-bitter nation- al debate over tuition benefits for young people in the country ille- gally. California, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska,NewMexico,NewYork, Texas and Utah are among states that have passed in-state tuition measures, saidBrentWilkes,exec- utive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, an advocacy group. Massachu- settsprobablywill consider sucha move soon. It’s the latest sign that states


across the country are stepping in to fill a void left by congressional inaction on immigration policy. As efforts to overhaul the immi- gration system have stalled in Congress during the Bush and Obama years, states have stopped waiting for Congress and the fed- eral government to act. The result has been a profusion


of conflicting policies across the nation, including a closely watched crackdown on illegal im- migrationinArizona. The Washington area alone


provides ample evidence of the vastly differing approaches: Even asMaryland considers giving un- documented immigrants in-state tuition benefits, Virginia not only does not offer such benefits, but legislators have tried — unsuc-


cessfully—to bar undocumented immigrants from enrolling at state-supported colleges. Ramirez has dubbed his pro-


posal theMarylandDREAMAct,a reference to national legislation thatwasblockedintheSenatethis month. The national DREAMAct would have created a pathway to citizenshipforundocumentedim- migrantswhowerebrought to the UnitedStates as childrenandwho had joined themilitary or attend- ed two years of college. The Maryland legislation


would provide the tuition benefit for students who have attended two years of Maryland high school, have parents or caregivers who are state taxpayers and who express an intent to seek legal status inthe country. O’Donnell, the top Republican


intheHouse ofDelegates, saidthe Maryland version of the DREAM Act has a “decent chance of pass- ing.”But thatdoesn’tmakeitright, he said. “This is onemore effort to legit-


imize illegal immigration—to en- courage it,” he said. “We should be discouraging it. It is a violation of our national sovereignty for peo- ple to come here illegally. To offer thembenefits paid for by citizens —I believe it is anoutrage.” A 1996 law explicitly prohibits


states from offering in-state col- lege tuition to undocumented im-


migrants unless they offer such benefits to all students across the country. The law was written by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), the incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and an out- spoken opponent of illegal immi- gration. But states that offer in-state tu-


ition benefits to undocumented immigrantshavecraftedlanguage that bases eligibility on attending local high schools. The California Supreme Court recently upheld the right of that state to offer in-state tuition benefits to undoc- umented immigrants. InMaryland, there could be in-


tense opposition to the proposal. Del. Patrick L. McDonough (R- Baltimore County) recently called for a criminal investigation of Montgomery College, which has long offered tuition benefits to undocumented immigrants who graduate from county high schools. Sen.-elect Roger P. Manno (D-


Montgomery County), who sup- ports the legislation, said that’s exactly what every public college inMaryland ought to be doing for students, regardless of their legal status. “We should give those folks ev-


ery opportunity to succeed, to get an education and to livewith dig- nity,”he said. vedantams@washpost.com


Va.may retool textbook approval rules books from B1


Virginia classrooms: “Our World Let’s Go,” “Our World Then and Now,” “Our World Near and Far” and “Our World Far and Wide.” Officials say they have no plans to have expert panels review those books. Five Ponds Press owner Lou


Scolnik said this week that he was aware of the errors discov- ered by the state’s panels of historians and will correct the problems in future editions of the books. The company also plans to hire a historian to review its books. On Wednesday night, Scolnik


said through a spokesman that he had no comment on the latest actions by state and school dis- trict officials. Individual school districts


choose which textbooks to use based on lists approved by the Education Department. It tradi- tionally approves textbooks after


panels of reviewers, often ele- mentary school teachers, verify that the books cover the Stan- dards of Learning themes that each course is mandated to teach. As Virginia officials attempt to


improve their textbook approval process, school districts across the state are grapplingwithwhat to do with thousands of books already in their classrooms. Loudoun County stopped us-


ing “Our Virginia” in October, after the controversy over the book’s claims about black Con- federate soldiers. Fairfax initially planned to continue using “Our Virginia” but is rethinking that decision, according to school dis- trict spokesman PaulRegnier.He said Fairfax officials, who are awaiting further feedback from the state and a response fromthe publisher, may stop using the book. “Initially, we thought it was just a single mistake. But after


this review, it’s clear that this is a more-significant problem,” Reg- nier said. “We know we’re going to have to do something.” A textbook review committee


in Prince William County this month recommended approval of “Our Virginia” and “OurAmer- ica” for use in classrooms.But the division’s review committee made that decision only after being assured by Five Ponds Press that it would receive error- free editions of the textbooks. Kenneth Bassett, Prince Wil-


liam’s social studies supervisor, said the committee found the books engaging and well-de- signed. “It’s unfortunate that they had all those things but not the level of historical scholarship that would have made them a home run,” Bassett said. Officials with Arlington Coun-


ty schools, which use “Our Vir- ginia,” did not return phonemes- sages seeking comment. sieffk@washpost.com


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