Thread: Latinos to school: keep Spanish programs or else!

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/49133922.html

Latino parents make a pitch

Marlin Levison, Star Tribune

One-year-old Josselyn Rachel Jimencz Ramos, 1, had the run of the Lynhurst Park Center floor as her parents and neighbors discussed the merits of Latin programs with school board members in attendance.
They told the Minneapolis school board that if Burroughs' program for Spanish-speaking students is phased out, they'll go elsewhere.

By EMILY JOHNS, Star Tribune

Last update: June 26, 2009 - 12:57 AM

The parents, who are at the heart of a controversy that has gripped the award-winning K-5 school over the past two months, spoke at a community meeting at Lynnhurt Community Center, near the school.

They said that if the Spanish-language program at Burroughs, designed for native Spanish speakers, is ended, they will organize an open house where charter, religious, private and suburban schools will offer information to the families about their other options outside the Minneapolis schools.

"If we can't have Burroughs, the only option is to leave the Minneapolis Public Schools," said Magaly Ferreira, who has children in the school, through a translator. "We adore the school."

Another parent, Shannon Castillo, wept as she asked, "Why can't our children continue to come to a school that's good, that's clean and that's safe?"

In response, School Board Member Pam Costain said, "The Native Language Learners program [the program's official name] is something we all believe in. It's an excellent way for nonnative speakers to learn English."

School board members stressed that they couldn't make a decision immediately and that there is significant competition from non-Latino families who live near the school to attend the program.

The program is being phased out because of "relatively low demand" from Latino families to be part of it, Susan Eilertsen, the district's spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

The phaseout began this year with no kindergartners being accepted into the program and will continue as first and second grades are phased out in the next two years, Eilertsen said.

About 55 students were in the program at the end of this school year, she said.

Several dozen Latino parents at Burroughs Community School in southwest Minneapolis threatened Thursday night to pull their children out of the school district if it follows through with a plan to phase out Burroughs' program for Spanish-speaking students.

The parents, who are at the heart of a controversy that has gripped the award-winning K-5 school over the past two months, spoke at a community meeting at Lynnhurt Community Center, near the school.
They said that if the Spanish-language program at Burroughs, designed for native Spanish speakers, is ended, they will organize an open house where charter, religious, private and suburban schools will offer information to the families about their other options outside the Minneapolis schools.

"If we can't have Burroughs, the only option is to leave the Minneapolis Public Schools," said Magaly Ferreira, who has children in the school, through a translator. "We adore the school."
Another parent, Shannon Castillo, wept as she asked, "Why can't our children continue to come to a school that's good, that's clean and that's safe?"

In response, School Board Member Pam Costain said, "The Native Language Learners program [the program's official name] is something we all believe in. It's an excellent way for nonnative speakers to learn English."
School board members stressed that they couldn't make a decision immediately and that there is significant competition from non-Latino families who live near the school to attend the program.
The program is being phased out because of "relatively low demand" from Latino families to be part of it, Susan Eilertsen, the district's spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.
The phaseout began this year with no kindergartners being accepted into the program and will continue as first and second grades are phased out in the next two years, Eilertsen said.
About 55 students were in the program at the end of this school year, she said.

"We want to do everything in our power to provide our Latino families with the support they need to make the transition to another program that is the right fit for them," she said.

"We hope they will choose to stay in the Minneapolis Public Schools," she said

Controversy over principal

In April, Tim Cadotte, the school's principal, was placed on administrative leave after an unannounced visit from school board member Chris Stewart escalated into an argument between the two men, and Stewart called Cadotte and the entire school community racist, parents said at the time.

Cadotte was reinstated in May, but now is serving a 10-day suspension without pay for "conduct unbecoming a principal, insubordination and inefficiency in the performance of duties as a principal," charges which are unrelated to the issue with Stewart, his attorney, Roger Aronson has told the Star Tribune.

Aronson said Cadotte plans to fight the allegations, and that the suspension stems from "a lot of small stuff" relating more to dotting the I's and crossing the T's of district policy, and that he doesn't think there's evidence of insubordination or conduct unbecoming a principal.

The argument between Cadotte and Stewart came about after the school's site council, of which Cadotte is a member, issued a statement urging district officials to reconsider phasing out the Native Language Learners program.

Burroughs has one of the city's lowest percentages of poor and minority students, and its site council, in a letter dated March 27, urged the district to recommit to the Spanish-speaking population.

"Keeping these students and the [bilingual] staff who serve them is preferable to replacing these students with another group of students to address the identical issues of diversity and achievement," the letter said.

Emily Johns • 612-673-7460

Or else what? They'll leave and go to other schools? All 55 of the kids enrolled in the program?

Wow, that'll hurt

This isn't about the kids at all. This is about accommodating the demands of parents who refuse to learn and/or speak English themselves because they don't WANT to assimilate, and really have no interest in their kids doing so either.

Those kids could sit in that program until they graduate from high school and nothing would change.....they'd still be spanish speaking first and foremost.

So let them leave......who gives a flying f.....fig.

the only option is to leave the Minneapolis Public Schools

Bet the taxpayers of Minneapolis are heartbroken over that!

Typical, they make demands and expect the American tax payer to pay for them, perhaps, the schools should say, fine, we will have Spanish classes and tutors, if YOU pay for them.

Perhaps Americans should demand second language classes for their English speaking children. I've always wondered why they don't teach foreign language to our kids until middle school. Swahili would be nice.

OR ELSE WHAT?

THEY WILL LEAVE THE COUNTRY!


BYE BYE!


Ken

Quotes:

1."If we can't have Burroughs, the only option is to leave the Minneapolis Public Schools," said Magaly Ferreira, who has children in the school, through a translator. "We adore the school."

Response: And please don't let the door hit you....

2. Another parent, Shannon Castillo, wept as she asked, "Why can't our children continue to come to a school that's good, that's clean and that's safe?"

Response: A question asked by many U.S. citizens and legal residents, whose taxes fund these schools, and who now find them being overrun by gangs, many of which originate in Latin American countries.

Adios muchachos!!

:P :P :P

Originally Posted by Texas2step

Quotes:

1."If we can't have Burroughs, the only option is to leave the Minneapolis Public Schools," said Magaly Ferreira, who has children in the school, through a translator. "We adore the school."

Response: And please don't let the door hit you....

2. Another parent, Shannon Castillo, wept as she asked, "Why can't our children continue to come to a school that's good, that's clean and that's safe?"

Response: A question asked by many U.S. citizens and legal residents, whose taxes fund these schools, and who now find them being overrun by gangs, many of which originate in Latin American countries.

You said a mouthful with #2!!!!