Thread: EDUCATING THE ILLEGAL CHILDREN

What started out as a series on illegal immigration and its cost to Cleveland, TN, has resulted in puff pieces by B. Jay Johnson, Editor of the Bradley News. Here is another progaganda media type selling out America through writing and receiving information from the profiteers and pro open borders, amnesty backers.

This week's story is the education of illegal alien children. Those that profit are the ELL, ESOL teachers and those that lose are the Amercian, taxpayer children.

Illegal Invasion - Educating the Innocents
by B. Jay Johnson

Few aspects of the debate over illegal immigration are as sensitive as the education of children who are born to illegal aliens in this country.

They are the innocent victims in a brewing controversy in which they have no voice. They did not ask to come to the United States. In fact, they did not ask to be born. They are here and because this is where they were born, they officially are considered by the U.S. government to be legal citizens.


Many Americans are against paying school and other taxes that support illegal immigrants and their families. But the cost of not educating the children of undocumented aliens could, in the end, be far greater.

U.S. citizens have mixed feelings about immigrants these days - especially when it comes to children.

It is the education of these children that has become the largest public cost associated with illegal immigration, and it's likely to have long-term consequences. Whether we like it or not, these children will probably remain in the U.S. and become adults. Some will ultimately contribute to the economy while others will not.

The National Opinion Research Center conducted a General Social Survey. Nearly half of American adults polled when the study was done in 1994 thought that children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants should continue to qualify for U.S. citizenship. This means that about another half thought they should not.

Nearly half agreed that children who don't speak English when they enter public schools should be taught in their native language for a year or two until they learn English.

At the same time, however, 80 percent also agreed that immigrants in the past managed to move up and that today's immigrants should do the same without any special favors.

Well, eliminating those "special favors" isn't going to happen. Federal law requires that every child in this country be afforded an education, including right here in Bradley County, Tennessee.

Compared to major metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Nashville or Charlotte, the number of children of illegal aliens in the Bradley County area is extremely small. However, they do exist and they do cost the taxpayer money.

Children who enter school without the ability to speak English are referred to as English Language Learners - or ELL's. There are approximately 143 of them enrolled in Bradley County Schools, compared to 193 for Cleveland City Schools. Ann Culbreth is the city school system's Supervisor of Accountability and Federal Programs Director.

"We have four teachers in the system helping these children," Culbreth tells the Bradley News, "We have one full-time ELL instructor at Cleveland Middle School." She says the others divide their attention among Cleveland High School and the elementary schools in the city school system.

"We are very committed to these young students," adds Culbreth, "and federal law requires us to do so."

Culbreth says special funds are allocated by the U.S. government to teach these children English and help them become technically fluent so they eventually can blend in with the other students.

Culbreth says school officials are also working more closely with all teachers in the system to help improve the learning experience for the non-English speaking students who continue to enroll.

Debbie Moore teaches English language learners at Black Fox Elementary. She lights up when she talks about the wonderful opportunity she has to make such a huge difference in a child's life.

"These are children just like my own," says Moore, "We have no right to turn them away." In fact, federal law prohibits school officials from asking a child or parent whether they are here legally.

Nonetheless, as far as Moore is concerned, the non-English speaking students are no less important than any of the thousands of other students in Bradley County.

"We are not required to confirm whether their parents are here legally," says Moore, "and the law tells us that no children can be denied an education in this country."

Moore doesn't take the time to worry about labeling or categorizing the minority students. She concentrates on treating them fairly and making sure they know they are welcome at Black Fox School.

Around 20 students whose parents can't speak English attend Arnold Memorial School in downtown Cleveland. The school is very lucky. Its school resource officer, Sgt. Evelyn West, grew up in southern California and speaks fluent Spanish.

On any given day, you will find Sgt.West assisting non-English speaking parents with news and information about their children and the education they are receiving.

Sergeant West is called upon by administrators in all of the city's schools to help them translate information so that the non-English speaking parents can be made aware of test results, vaccinations and other school requirements.

Rachel Woods is the Communications Director for the Tennessee Department of Education. She says it is not required for a student who is entering school to have a social security number. Instead, they are assigned what is called a Unique Student Number. It is that number that is used to track data on all students in the Tennessee public school system.

"All the proof they need is proof of residence," says Woods, referring to parents who are enrolling their children in school. She says the school districts work closely with the local health departments to obtain and maintain information about a student's vaccination records and medical conditions.

Woods informed the Bradley News that the average number of English language learners statewide is 3 percent, in Davidson County it is 11 percent, while here at home the number is much lower at 1.2 percent.

She says the state requires there to be one teacher for every 35 English language learners. Woods says that means counties with large populations such as Davidson, Shelby, Knox and Hamilton are having to hire more and more teachers in this area of study.

Woods says the biggest issue surrounding students who are learning English isn't the education part. She believes it is the accountability part. Woods believes the No Child Left Behind Act requires unrealistic expectations from the students who are being taught English.

"A lot of people think teachers can work a miracle and teach a child to speak English in one year," says Woods, "but that's much easier said than done. All the good research shows it takes multiple years of study for these children to master the subject."

http://www.bradleyweekly.com/news.cfm?id=5171

I'm not even going to read it. I saw the title contain "puff piece" and i know exactly what it's about and can tell you it's a load of crap. "No Child Left Behind" really means "All of our kids are getting left behind while we try to teach some illegals/anchor babies english while they refuse to learn it because they don't care".


That is all.