ESL in our community colleges!!!!

[AmericanElizabeth]

Well, I and my best friend have learned a lesson in reverse politics today!!

She is taking a (VERY BELATED) adult education class at Portland Community College, and overheard the instructor speaking with a man who presented her with his green card to show he was legal and that he was interested in the GED/ESL course.

This is what she found out. she called the instructor today to ask if she heard right? My friend asked "did I hear you say this course is not open to those who are here legally, meaning, only illegal aliens are eligible?" the instructor replies "yes something like that", my friend said "don't you think this is rewarding these people who came here without permission?" the instructor replied "that's just the rules", my friend said "why?", the last response from the instructor will just get you, "BECAUSE IT'S TAXPAYER FUNDED"!!!

So I called Mt. Hood Community College and asked the ESL's front desk if this course was not open to those with a green card, the young woman (with the heavy Hispanic accent) replied "Portland Community College is more difficult to get into, WE DO NOT REQUIRE DOCUMENTATION".

And this too is taxpayer funded!! NICE.............

Now help me here folks, if they are getting taxpayers money to subsidise ESL for adults who knowingly came here illegally, isn't this against Federal Laws? Oh, I know that the grade schools and upper grade and high schools also have ESL, but I'll pick my battles, I have a little sympathy for the children who are innocent of this crime, they do not understand what their parents have done, so I'll look into that later, but TAXPAYER FUNDED ESL AND GED CLASSES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS, WHO CAN ASK FOR WAIVERS SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE NOMINAL FEE OF $25.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the most fantastic openly, outrageous display of reverse politics and outright rape of the taxpayers from their hard earned dollars to educate illegals right under our noses without getting a vote on it from the public. SCANDALOUS.

[reptile09]

Down here in San Diego we have Mexican Nationals who cross over from Mexico everyday to attend U.S. schools and colleges at taxpayer expense. And many of these classses aren't just ESL, they have GED and other classes taught to Mexican Nationals in SPANISH. In fact, here you can get a full education, with a CA high school diploma awarded without knowing a single word of ENGLISH, can you believe that?

You can always tell when it is a school day here in San Diego, just listen to the local traffic reports in the morning, if the border crossing waits are more than an hour and a half, it must be a school day.

[legal4mykidsfuture]

My friend asked "did I hear you say this course is not open to those who are here legally, meaning, only illegal aliens are eligible?" the instructor replies "yes something like that", my friend said "don't you think this is rewarding these people who came here without permission?" the instructor replied "that's just the rules", my friend said "why?", the last response from the instructor will just get you, "BECAUSE IT'S TAXPAYER FUNDED"!!!

I checked the Website for Portland Community College and this is the course description for ESL Classes:

The ESL program teaches the skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar.There are four levels: A, B, C, and D. Students must have a permission form from an ESL test appoint. in order to register.These classes are for immigrants and U.S. Citizens.ESL classes generally fill up a term in advance. All new ESL students must be tested to be assigned the proper level. For appointment information, please call the campus test center where you wish to attend.
A $25 PCC admission fee will be charged to all new students. If you test on campus, please pay the fee in advance at the Business Office, then take your receipt of payment to the test session.You will be charged a fee for each class you attend.The PCC Business Office will send you a bill through the mail..If the perterm fee is not paid, you may not be able to register for the following term.

Now I know there is a huge misunderstanding in the media, among politicians, and in academia about the distinction between "Immigrants" and "Illegal Aliens" but I would think these highly educatied functionaries would know the difference between illegal aliens and U.S. Citizens. If that instructor is claiming they are operating by the rules, he is lying as well as stupid.

ESL classes, to my understanding, were instituted for the purpose of helping legal immigrants and naturalized citizens to learn English and assist them to assimilate into American culture. It just figures that this program has been corrupted.

[AmericanElizabeth]

Legal it has been, according to this instructor, people with green cards and visa's are not eligible (why I do not understand) also, when I called myself and asked my local community college (Mt. Hood Community College) the young lady said "we do not ask for documentation". What she was saying is Mt. Hood has a "don't ask don't tell" policy.

My friend said this is ludicrous since the taxpayers are funding it and those here legally cannot go to it!! This is what the class is supposed to be for, people attempting to become citizens needing to have better English skills in order to integrate into American society.

Also on Mt. Hood Community Colleges ESL page, they have an area where the students have wrote stories about different subjects in order to use their English skills, there are stories specifically labeled "immigration stories". So I read. None would outright admit they came here illegally, they do talk about crossing the border, but never say if they did it within the law.

One young guy talked about getting an education here, then going back. Almost all talked about having jobs in Mexico before coming here. One was even a teacher in Mexico.

What gets my husband and I the most is that the taxpayers were never given a voice in how our tax money was being spent, fine for the kids, they had no choice, but ESL and GED for illegal adults, thats another story.