Thread: Youth suspended for speaking Spanish at school

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13374466.htm

Posted on Sat, Dec. 10, 2005

KANSAS


Lapse into Spanish earns suspension, then apology

A teenager was suspended from school for a few words of Spanish conversation. Now the school superintendent has apologized.

BY T.R. REID

Washington Post Service


KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Most of the time, 16-year-old Zach Rubio converses in clear, unaccented American teen-speak, a form of English in which the three most common words are ''like,'' ''whatever'' and ''totally.'' But Zach is also fluent in his dad's native language, Spanish -- and that's what got him suspended from school.

''It was, like, totally not in the classroom,'' the high school junior said, recalling the infraction. ``We were in the, like, hall or whatever, on restroom break. This kid I know, he's like, `¿Me prestas un dólar?' [`Will you lend me a dollar?']. Well, he asked in Spanish; it just seemed natural to answer that way. So I'm like, `No problema.' ''

But that conversation turned out to be a big problem at the Endeavor Alternative School, a small public high school in an ethnically mixed blue-collar neighborhood. A teacher who overheard the two boys sent Zach to the office, where Principal Jennifer Watts ordered him to call his father and leave the school.

Watts, whom students describe as a disciplinarian, said she can't discuss the case. But in a written ''discipline referral'' explaining her decision to suspend Zach for 1 ½ days, she noted: ``This is not the first time we have [asked] Zach and others to not speak Spanish at school.''

Since then, the suspension of Zach Rubio has become a local cause celebre, the talk of the town in both English and Spanish newspapers and radio shows. The school district has officially rescinded his punishment and said that speaking a foreign language is not grounds for suspension. And the Associated Press reports the district has said that Superintendent of Schools Bobby Allen apologized to the student.

Meanwhile, the Rubio family has retained a lawyer, who says a civil rights lawsuit may be in the offing.

The tension here surrounding that brief exchange in a high school hallway reflects a broader national debate over the language Americans should speak amid a wave of Hispanic immigration.

The National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, says that 20 percent of the U.S. school-age population is Hispanic. For half of those Hispanic students, the native language is Spanish.

That language use in schools elsewhere is such an issue may surprise many in South Florida, where school hallways and classrooms echo with other languages, especially Spanish and Creole.

''The richness of Miami is in part a richness of language,'' said Joseph Garcia, spokesman for the Miami-Dade school district. ``Not only do our policies not prohibit speaking languages other than English, we think that in the world in which they'll live every student ought to speak at least two languages.''

Such a suspension couldn't happen in Broward County, school district spokesman Keith Bromery said: ``We don't have any rule like that that would prohibit a child from speaking any language on school grounds.''

VARIETY OF CONFLICTS

Howver, conflicts are breaking out nationwide over bilingual education, ''English-only'' laws, Spanish-language publications and advertising, and other linguistic collisions. Language concerns have been a key aspect of the growing political movement to reduce immigration.

Some advocates of an English-only policy in schools say that it is particularly important for students from immigrant families to use the country's dominant language.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made that point this summer when he vetoed a bill authorizing various academic subjects to be tested in Spanish in the state's public schools. ''As an immigrant,'' the Austrian-born governor said, ``I know the importance of mastering English as quickly and as comprehensively as possible.''

Hispanic groups generally agree with that, but they emphasize the value of a multilingual citizenry. ''A fully bilingual young man like Zach Rubio should be considered an asset to the community,'' said Janet Murguia, national president of La Raza.

The influx of immigrants has reached every corner of the country -- even here in Kansas City, where there are older neighborhoods where almost every shop and restaurant has signs written in Spanish.

CITIZEN'S LESSON

Zach's father, Lorenzo Rubio, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, and a U.S. citizen, credits U.S. immigration law for his decision to fight his son's suspension.

''You can't just walk in and become a citizen,'' he said. ``They make you take this government test. I studied for that test, and I learned that in America, they can't punish you unless you violate a written policy.''

Since his suspension was rescinded, the issue of speaking Spanish in the hall has not been raised at the school, Zach said. 'I know it would be, like, disruptive if I answered in Spanish in the classroom. I totally don't do that. But outside of class now, the teachers are like, `Whatever.' ''

After reading several news reports, to try to get a more rounded view of what actually happened, a few things stick out that raise questions.

Zach Rabio attends Endeavor Alternative, an alternative school where most students speak halting English. I don't dispute the importance of learning a foreign language, and the advantages of being Bi-Lingual, but when students in this school speak halting English, it is reasonable to encourage English as a tool to survive in the US.

Alternative schools are part of Bush's No Child Left Behind program, to reach out to students who - for any number of reasons - aren't able to mainstream into the general High School environment.

According to an interview with Zach, his teacher asked him THREE times (within 45 minutes) to speak English - once in the classroom, once in the hallway, and again in the lunchroom.

His sister, Sara, who attends Turner-Kansas High School, said speaking a foreign language in the language class classrooms is acceptable, but not outside the classroom. The policy is uniform in all schools.

While interviewing his father, who works for the School District, he said his son told him several times he did not like living in the US and wanted to live in Mexico. His son was not happy when told he could not move.

Zach is in an Alternative school because he has issues. No one really knows how he has acted out on those issues in the past because this is sealed information.

The journalists (I use that term very loosely) who wrote these news items are guilty of misrepresenting the facts by omitting key information about this incident, the purpose of this school, and the type of students who attend this school.

If it had been reported that this was a troubled teen who had a history of behavioral issues, do you honestly believe it would have made it past the local newspaper?

Without the 5 W's of good news reporting (who, what, when, where, why), this news item is incomplete, tells half the story, and nothing less than a ratings grabber intended to agitate.

Welcome June!

That is good to know. We are not shocked that a liberal journalist would take creative license with the truth on this matter.

To me, the issue seems to be the students defiance of authority more than speaking a foreign language.

Please keep us updated and accurately informed on this story.

William

Welcome JuneS_Reston

According to an interview with Zach, his teacher asked him THREE times (within 45 minutes) to speak English - once in the classroom, once in the hallway, and again in the lunchroom.

Was this interview in the media and if so can you post a link to it?

http://www.kansascitykansan.com/article ... /news4.txt

I made a mistake, it was the father who wanted to go back to Mexico, not the son. Sorry for that.

None the less, I find it difficult to accept that a student whose first language is English and speaks Spanish as a second language Sometimes I just talk to them and I don't think about what language I am speaking. Sometimes it just comes out. especially in a school that makes it clear English is the language to be used in the school.

If many of these students speak English haltingly, this young man is not doing them a favor by speaking to them in Spanish. The purpose of this school is to prepare these students to stand on their own once they graduate. If they don't have a good understanding of the English language, they will be restricted in their opportunities in the outside world.

If this suspension is criticized by the School District and students are not prepared to be productive members of society because they don't understand the language, the teachers will be held accountable.

It seems you get nailed to the wall if you do, and you get nailed to the wall if you don't. It's not easy being a teacher - it's harder still being a teacher in an Alternative school.

My concern with this issue is just magnified after learning of what you have told us, JuneS_Reston. Since this IS an alternative school with the express purpose of serving TROUBLED youth, it seems even MORE important that the kids be required to speak English OUTSIDE their Spanish classroom because, just by the definition of the school, these children are prone to be troublemakers and, frankly, I wouldn't want to be a teacher OR administrator in a school of troubled kids who were speaking a foreign language in inappropriate places because I would be afraid of WHAT they were saying more than in what LANGUAGE they were saying it. My very first thought, if I heard these kids speaking another language outside their classroom, would be that they were planning some sort of mischief or worse.

I will continue my crusade to have English DESIGNATED as our national language for all of the obvious reasons. Ayatollah--you have brought up one issue that decisively convinces me that I am right about this. I have seen this, not only in courtrooms, but in hospitals, doctors' offices, schools, EVERYWHERE. AND, every time resources are devoted to interpreting for people who REFUSE to learn our language, it is time that is taken AWAY from those who DO and the others of us who are CITIZENS of AMERICA. I hope you WILL video that and post it on our site. I would really like to see that.

As for Dan and Handyman, I withhold comment because I just don't feel the need to defend my position.

The policy is uniform in all schools.

First let me state it is my belief it is not the policy,(not allowed to speak spanish), uniformly or other wise of the district to ban speaking spanish.

Secondly, I do stand firmly with you in regards to current laws on the books, immigration etc. Admittedly, i am not so keen on them, but i respect the law and think laws should be obeyed untill they are over-turned or changed. Anything other than that I'm not sure. I am not here to raise a fuss about current laws. I am asking, (to which I haven't seen a response), what of those incapable of using English. Specifically, Deaf individuals. I understand this discussion is about a kid that has issues,(alt school- I've worked at a few myself so I am familiar with the reasons for sending kids there), and whether or not he should be speaking Spanish.
The fact is the principal isn't above the policies of the district that employs her. that is where my objections lie. The Principal believes herself to be above her superiors, and regardless of ones opinion regarding spanish, should give pause to anyone. If it were a uniform policy any reasonable person would surmise her super would have backed her up. He did not.
So my point is this, (and im even open to the fact we don't have quality reporting bringing us this story as a previous post hints at)putting a requirement on a language that is evolving constantly, and one that has many many many variants of interpretation, (regional, generational, etc) is just a crazy fight to get into.
We all use slang and change the meaning of words all the time. Some slang becomes accepted by some groups and some slang doesn't.
Like I said I do think saying ENGLISH only is a scary situation, but with further debate I would be willing to discuss the parameters that would need to be set to ensure we weren't discriminating. For instance,
My aunt,(in her 60's) says, "I'm feeling punk" meaning she is sick
and me,(35), thinks of punk as a band or a way to ignite fireworks.
So it just seems really impractical.
Again too the whole issue of kids that use ASL, is it feasabile to add a clause saying the Deaf are exempt and are allowed to use ASL?
Then what of the poor kids that are pigeoning ASL/signed english.
So before you decide as though my issues aren't worth responding to, please understand I consider them to be legitimate concerns. Not because I want to buck the forum, but because I work with kids that have various levels of hearing and these are issues they presented to me.
So again I am open to anyone addressing how that,(ASL,interpretation of words vs slang vs. etc) would be considered in drafting laws for a national language.

what of those incapable of using English. Specifically, Deaf individuals.

Obviously, there is a HUGE difference between "CAN'T" and "WON'T".

Of course, EVERY accomodation should be given a deaf student or anyone with a PHYSICAL DISABILITY in order to permit them to communicate. That shouldn't even be an issue or raise a question. But, there I draw the line. If a LEGAL immigrant comes to our country, they should be REQUIRED to attend a school that provides ESL so THEY can be immersed in our language. They also should be IMMERSED in OUR CULTURE--NOT THEIRS. They can get theirs in their countries of origin. Once they can navigate the English language, then they should be integrated into the regular school system where they will be speaking their new language--the language of the country that they have chosen.

How could you possibly keep ORDER in a school if you had a hundred children speaking 10 different languages??? That is just ABSURD. So, since this IS America, it just is common sense to require that English be spoken in general conversation in our schools. And, anywhere else for that matter except their homes or homes of friends. ASSIMILATION is the operative word here.

Well, you say

of course

, and I agree, but if it doenst get specified It could be lost in the fray, that is why I was pressing so hard.
The writing and implementing of such a law would be A very tough job, that would undoubtedly be under extreme scrutiny. By the same token too though I am all for AMERICAN kids being required to more than pass a second language. As an anthropolgy professor pointed out about 10 yrs ago. The world is a global market, and the way to be competitive on a global scale is to be able to cut deals in other languages. Other countries know two or three languages fluently, if we dont prepare our kids to compete with that on a global scale I believe it will prove to be a giant negative for the future. I know I wish I had learned a formal second language when i was young. (ASL is my second language now, however, I am speaking of a spoken lang). . Also just for my own peace of mind, just because they use ASL doesn't mean they consider themselves to be disabled. That said-
I am all for the immersion too. My wife works at a bilingual school where the people that teach in spanish make 3000 more a year than she does,and have smaller classes. As far as I know there aren't any profiencey tests for said bilingual teachers. I do not know for sure , but that is my suspicion and I am against that,(no testing set up) as well for two reason, at least.
One, if they arent given profiency tests, how can we truly know the teachers have a proper grasp of the lang(spanish-as at this point bi-lingual programs are up and running so if one is teaching that way they should be qualified) regardless if they grew up speaking it. Two it isn't my wifes fault that she doesn't speak spanish and she has more kids in her class than do the bilingual classes. In fact if a new student comes in the district and they aren't bilingual they generally do not go in to the bilingual class but the normal classes. Distrct sites, making sure there is enough room in the Bi classes just in case more bilingual students come to the district. I dont agree with that. If the law says my wife should only have 20 students but she has 23 because of the aforementioned practices and she makes less money.... well you can imagine why im against it. I think there are pros and cons on each side of the issue of language. However, I do agree with the submersion though, and I know in time those spanish speakers would be english proficient. When I was learning American SIgn Language, thats exactly what i did. I grew up with kids that were deaf so I had a cursory understanading of the language. Hardly anything close to fluent in the areas of production or reception of any real conversations. Once i started taking classes,(college), I took every chance i could to jump head long into a crowd of Deaf only. Go to my friends houses, bowling etc. This way I was totally able to disconnect from the english. We did learn in class in ASL and it was a lil tough turning one language into another and making sure the signs we used for RUN were the correct signs, i.e., pantyhose run, versus, a run on the poker table vs run to the store vs engine running etc. Sure there were times I was wobbly, but it helped me to aquire a more native comprehension/production of ASL by immersing myself with out the aid of an interpreter or my native language.
As for american culture Im not sure what that is really, all though I will recognize that language is the foundation for any culture. So maybe by virture of the student learning english we are teraching them the foundation of our culture. I am not being testy, but will someone explain what is meant by american culture? Is this something like learnign what it takes to pass the citizenship test? Seriously Im not sure I could put my finger on what is mean t by American culture. Well I did have a friend from Germany tell me, America: Bigger , faster, better, MORE.
Which I didnt take as a knock really, to me I kind of thought thats what being the best was/is all about!
thanks bootsie for the reply.

Handyman,

"what of those incapable of using English"

Not counting people who are deaf, Americans are paying billions of dollars out of their pockets unfortunately for ESL classes, bilingual ballots forms and documents etc...

We are being charged like crazy to accommodate all of these Spanish speaking immigrants coming in now... most of which are illegal according to the Pew Hispanic Center and US Census.

We need to be less accommodating especially when accommodating other languages is at the expense and irritation of English speaking Americans.

For something to be added to our platform, it has to have over 80% support levels in several polls first. We added English as a national language after several polls showed over 90% support!

W