Thread: Another Reason for English/Official Language!

End Is Near in a Fight on Teaching of English

Published: May 19, 2009

NOGALES, Ariz. — When Miriam Flores was a student at Coronado Elementary School, her mother, also named Miriam, was surprised to learn that she was getting in trouble.

Chris Hinkle for The New York Times

Miriam Flores, with a daughter, Isabella, who she hopes will be helped by a lawsuit filed on behalf of an older daughter. “Her teacher said she was talking in class,â€

"At the time, the state provided only $150 extra for each non-English-speaking student like Miriam." Now we are told that the Nogales schools spend "10 times as much", i.e., $1,500. Per what? Per hour, per day, week, month, quarter, semester, year? It makes a big difference.

While the lawsuit has gone on too long to affect Miriam Flores, her youngest sister, Isabella, will start in a kindergarten class for English language learners at Coronado in September. Mrs. Flores hopes that, because of the changes the litigation prompted, Isabella will have an easier time with English than did her oldest sister — and that, ultimately, the Supreme Court decision will provide a smoother educational path for all Spanish-speaking children.

Miriam the student is now 23, her sister is 5 or 6 and most likely born in the US. Why would she need to learn to speak English? It's not the schools fault that the parents are screwing their own kids chances to succeed and why should WE be forced to pay for it?!?!?!?!!

Originally Posted by CitizenJustice

Much has changed since then: Miriam is now a 23-year-old college student. Under a new Arizona law, Coronado Elementary provides four hours a day of intensive English, in small classes, for students struggling with the language. These days, the Nogales schools spend 10 times as much on their English language learners.

So much for equal opportunity education huh? Spanish speakers get 10 times more than English speakers.

[quote][b]“What hasn’t changed since the judgment is the state’s failure to adequately fund the program,â€

The school boards in both Broward and Miami Dade County are going broke due to this reason. The majority of the teachers hired recently were English as a second language ones. Even with that program they are spoon fed and given inflated grades where they can get scholarships and go on to colleges and universities. That is a big problem for them. Over 80% of the students attending Miami Dade College need extra help due to language issues. At Florida International University around 35% of the class of pre med students is failing due to their poor English. They should go back to what I had when I started kindegarden and couldn't speak English. It was called sink or swim. You learned as you went. In grade one I almost failed as not only did I have to learn what the rest of the class did but I had to learn English as well. My teacher gave me extra work and I stayed indoors for one recess working on it. I ended up passing by grade 6 or 7 they wanted to skip me a grade. I had become so accustom at working hard on my studies due to what happened back in grade one.

So, if I read this correctly, Nogales is spending $1,570 a year to educate Spanish speaking children (in smaller classes no less) than it spends teaching children who already speak English. I was mad when I thought Americans simply had to pay for the education of Illegal Aliens but to actually spend more on them than our own children really makes my blood boil!

Oh, just how many kids did this mother have and is she an Illegal Alien? Is it too much to ask that ALL PERTINENT FACTS be included in reporting a story?

The Spanish speaking ILLEGALS and their Anchors in the Texas School System are so illiterate that our schools have to spend time and resources to teach the ILLEGALS and Anchors proper Spanish before they can even consider teaching the ILLEGALS and Anchors English! The ILLEGALS and Anchors have their own program starting in pre-kindergarten through the 5th grade, seven years, and most do not learn English. But the Feds and State of Texas continue to flood the school system with our money. Don't be concerned, the ILLEGALS do not have any intention of learning English! They want to take over the United States for their Third World home countries or at the very least turn the United States into just another Third World Country!

Unfortunately, I think the majority of these parents are illiterate in their own language. Why bother to learn any English when your entire community and friends don't speak it.