Thread: MD: Thompson wants count of IAs in school system

You know what, the commissioner is just asking FOR A COUNT. He is not saying they will be kicked out of school.

The OBL is putting words in his mouth.

I don't see anything wrong about that. Statistics are always good to have, especially for funding purposes.

I don't believe that schools don't already know how many illegals are attending. I just enrolled my kid in kindergarten and had to (not a choice, but had to) show them her birth certificate. Do illegals have to do that? Do illegals even have birth certificates, if they give birth at home or not in a hospital?
Does anyone know which law states all kids get a free public education? I'm wondering where it states that the U.S. must provide them with education above and beyond what they provide to citizens? (teaching them English instead of requiring parents to teach them, taking kids into the schools whose parents voluntarily removed them from their own schools in the 2nd grade, and now they need to somehow be placed in 6th or 7th grade when they aren't ready, because you can't have a 13 year old mixed in with 7 year olds, etc. I would think the states are doing more than the law states they need to?

Originally Posted by Steph

I don't believe that schools don't already know how many illegals are attending. I just enrolled my kid in kindergarten and had to (not a choice, but had to) show them her birth certificate. Do illegals have to do that? Do illegals even have birth certificates, if they give birth at home or not in a hospital?
Does anyone know which law states all kids get a free public education? I'm wondering where it states that the U.S. must provide them with education above and beyond what they provide to citizens? (teaching them English instead of requiring parents to teach them, taking kids into the schools whose parents voluntarily removed them from their own schools in the 2nd grade, and now they need to somehow be placed in 6th or 7th grade when they aren't ready, because you can't have a 13 year old mixed in with 7 year olds, etc. I would think the states are doing more than the law states they need to?

Steph, I don't know if it's a law, per se, but it all came about from the Plyer vs Doe lawsuit brought to the Supreme Court. You can google it for more info.

I believe the schools have a "good estimate" but I don't fault them for wanting to get an accurate count for statistical purposes. I don't believe for a minute that they have officially checked the legality of all the kids they serve. It's just too easy for them to skip that because there are no penalties for doing so.

Originally Posted by Ex_OC

Originally Posted by Steph

I don't believe that schools don't already know how many illegals are attending. I just enrolled my kid in kindergarten and had to (not a choice, but had to) show them her birth certificate. Do illegals have to do that? Do illegals even have birth certificates, if they give birth at home or not in a hospital?
Does anyone know which law states all kids get a free public education? I'm wondering where it states that the U.S. must provide them with education above and beyond what they provide to citizens? (teaching them English instead of requiring parents to teach them, taking kids into the schools whose parents voluntarily removed them from their own schools in the 2nd grade, and now they need to somehow be placed in 6th or 7th grade when they aren't ready, because you can't have a 13 year old mixed in with 7 year olds, etc. I would think the states are doing more than the law states they need to?

Steph, I don't know if it's a law, per se, but it all came about from the Plyer vs Doe lawsuit brought to the Supreme Court. You can google it for more info.

Count the Legal ones and it will tell you the ones left are illegal No racial profiling that way.

every state should do this!~

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Count the Legal ones and it will tell you the ones left are illegal No racial profiling that way.

every state should do this!~

YOU are sooo smart, Mom!!

Lil Tater Tot,
EX_OC

Originally Posted by Ex_OC

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Count the Legal ones and it will tell you the ones left are illegal No racial profiling that way.

every state should do this!~

YOU are sooo smart, Mom!!

Lil Tater Tot,
EX_OC

Thank you "Little Tater Tot"

Count the Legal ones and it will tell you the ones left are illegal No racial profiling that way.

every state should do this!~



What are you kidding me you know that would make too much sence!
The need to cut off every govt. funded faculity if they're are any IA's Involved.

Frederick County Weighs Response To Immigrant Influx
Sarah Richards

FREDERICK, MD (2008-04-2 Immigrants accounted for more than half of Maryland's workforce growth from 2000 to 2006, according to a recent study for the Urban Institute. That growth, however, isn't always smooth. Frederick County has one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the state, and local politicians have put forth several proposals aimed at highlighting the issue of immigration--both illegal and legal. WYPR's Sarah Richards files this report.

Last week, County Commissioner John Thompson floated an idea: why not count the number of undocumented students attending Frederick County schools?

TAPE: (23 SECONDS)
IC: It's an information-gathering process that the next step would be, after we answered the question, if it's a relatively high number, that's an issue because it costs between $15,000 to $18,000 per-student to educate kids in Frederick County and doesn't take long for that to run into tens of millions if it's a high number.

What's a high number? Thompson says that would be several thousand of the county's 42-thousand students. He wants his proposal to be discussed at next month's county school board meeting. But even if he does get that number, he won't be able to do much with it right now. Under federal law, it's illegal to bar children from public schools, even if they're undocumented. Thompson disagrees with that, and he says politicians lack the will to take on the issue of illegal immigration.

TAPE: (18 SECONDS)
IC: These politicians at the national and state level, I think they have these round-the-clock polling, focus groups and everything, and the results are telling them that your best bet is to do nothing rather than solve the problem. So if it's going to be solved, it's going to be from the local government up.

Thompson's proposal comes on the heels of others in Frederick aimed at the county's growing immigrant population. Last week, a proposal requiring Frederick County documents to be printed in English-only failed. But county commissioners did pass a resolution that English be the official language of the local government. Frederick is far from the only county in Maryland to be hurled into the immigration debate. Still, people here who are opposed to the moves see them as a public-relations nightmare.

Guy Djoken, an immigrant from the Cameroon in West Africa, is the president of the local NAACP. At a press conference last week, he almost sounded like he was pleading for people not to jump to conclusions about Frederick.

TAPE: (44 SECONDS)
IC: In the last couple of years, we have seen the community coming together. This year, for fifth year, we are celebrating the Indian Festival. Last year, we had Brazil Day for first time. You have USA-Africa Day. We had the Lunar New Year, the Burmese New Year. So, people are welcoming in general. It is just that we have some folks who are afraid of losing what they call it, what they call the quality of life, that are coming up with some ideas that make it look as if the vast majority is not welcoming.

Frederick County's commissioners depend on state senators and delegates to choose which proposals in their legislative package will come before the Maryland General Assembly. That's one of many hurdles such the proposals must overcome. Thompson says Frederick could also team up with other counties to get certain immigration laws back in front of the Supreme Court, or pursue amendments in the state constitution. But these approaches would be expensive and time-consuming.

William Hanna is a professor at the University of Maryland, who has studied Hispanic immigration in suburban Maryland. He doesn't see any easy solutions on the horizon when it comes to illegal immigration.

TAPE: (28 SECONDS)
IC: Look at what McCain has done, he's backed away. He was one of the sponsors of the comprehensive immigration bill. He's backed away from that in the campaign. I guess both Democrats are more modest, but as several have pointed out, you need to have 68 votes to pass something in the senate or else it can be blocked. And the moderates on immigration are not going to have 68 votes. It's a tough time to have a moderate position on immigration.

The next meeting between the Frederick County School Board and county commissioners is scheduled for May 20th.

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