Thread: Kids denied access to school bus for speaking English

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/11 ... index.html


ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) -- A school bus driver let Rachel Armstrong's three children board the bus Monday morning, but he warned them that he wouldn't give them a ride home that afternoon, nor could they ever ride his route again.

The problem: Armstrong's 10-year-old twin girls and 8-year-old son speak English. The driver told them the route had been designated for non-English speakers only.

Armstrong said Wednesday that she got a call from a worried daughter who didn't know how she was going to get home. "She thought they had done something wrong," she said.

So a furious Armstrong had to leave work early to pick up her stranded kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School.

It turns out the bus route was meant to serve one of the district's three language academies. Phalen Lake's academy is for Hmong kids learning English, and the academies all have separate bus routes to keep their students together.

The district decided to begin enforcing the separate routes Monday -- but didn't tell the Armstrong family.

School administrators apologized but didn't agree to let Armstrong's children keep riding the bus, as they'd been doing all year.

"It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake," said Dayna Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the district. "The kids should have gotten home that day."

The Armstrongs also learned that when they moved last year, they landed outside of Phalen's attendance area. Armstrong said she was told her kids would have to transfer if they wanted to keep riding a bus, "or I'd have to find my own way to get them to school."

Armstrong said she arrived home Wednesday to find a message from the principal on her answering machine.

"She would prefer them to stay there rather than leave, and she would like to work on some kind of resolution," Armstrong said.

A simple solution, she said, would be to let her daughters keep riding the bus.

"It's so simple, but they want to come with the red tape and everything," she said. "As long as the kids get to school, that should be the main point."




This is what country again?

Originally Posted by Ronster

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/11/kicked.off.bus.ap/index.html

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) -- A school bus driver let Rachel Armstrong's three children board the bus Monday morning, but he warned them that he wouldn't give them a ride home that afternoon, nor could they ever ride his route again.

The problem: Armstrong's 10-year-old twin girls and 8-year-old son speak English. The driver told them the route had been designated for non-English speakers only.

Armstrong said Wednesday that she got a call from a worried daughter who didn't know how she was going to get home. "She thought they had done something wrong," she said.

So a furious Armstrong had to leave work early to pick up her stranded kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School.

It turns out the bus route was meant to serve one of the district's three language academies. Phalen Lake's academy is for Hmong kids learning English, and the academies all have separate bus routes to keep their students together.

The district decided to begin enforcing the separate routes Monday -- but didn't tell the Armstrong family.School administrators apologized but didn't agree to let Armstrong's children keep riding the bus, as they'd been doing all year.

"It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake," said Dayna Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the district. "The kids should have gotten home that day."

The Armstrongs also learned that when they moved last year, they landed outside of Phalen's attendance area. Armstrong said she was told her kids would have to transfer if they wanted to keep riding a bus, "or I'd have to find my own way to get them to school."

Armstrong said she arrived home Wednesday to find a message from the principal on her answering machine.

"She would prefer them to stay there rather than leave, and she would like to work on some kind of resolution," Armstrong said.

A simple solution, she said, would be to let her daughters keep riding the bus.

"It's so simple, but they want to come with the red tape and everything," she said. "As long as the kids get to school, that should be the main point."


This is what country again?

This is American but it is made up of different nationalities. Some who do not speak English. The school district was only trying to accomodate all the children.
The article was mis-leading. The children were not kicked off the bus because they spoke English.

I dont know. I still think it is good for immigrants kids to assimlate to OUR language and culture. And to tell kids that they are not going to be able to ride the bus home because they speak their native language.

its bs to me.

This is a conversation for the school district and the parents, not a bus driver and little kids. You don't just tell a child to figure out how to get home. Everyone in the United States should speak English, or at least be taking classes. We should not have to accomodate anyone. If they don't want to be an American, then stay put.

This is just my opinion, for any American children to be kicked off any bus in America because they were speaking English, a bus paid for by hard working Americans tax dollars, just shows how far America has sunk. This should be a crime, against tax payers. The response from the Principal of the school, saying "oh well these kids should not be on the bus anyway as the parents moved last year so that makes it ok" is the most feeble excuse I have every heard that would make it ok to kick kids off the bus because they spoke English. How does one respond to that kind of justification!
This is America, we need to get this through our heads, English is our language, no one should be knocked down for speaking it fluently!

If Americans tried to have an English only bus we would have a discrimination suit so fast we couldn't turn around. Why do people in America who speak other languages need a separate bus? English needs to be the official language and not continue supporting all these other languages.

well I am new here but tell me this...If there was a bus that only allowed English Speaking students or only White Students, that would be called Racist so whats the difference most are here illegally anyways. I am getting tired of them being called the minorities when White Americans are really the minorities. Honestly look around, they are flying and pledging there alligance to another country's flag right here on AMERICAN soil. If they love there homeland so much, why are they here, this is America, come here legally and quit using our system that my family has always paid into not yours !!! I can't even get insurance for my kids but they get everything handed to them on a silver platter for breaking the law. God Bless America

Welcome PatrioticSandra


I agree with you all. I am glad you joined. Our numbers are growing!!

[quote="PatrioticSandra"]well I am new here but tell me this...If there was a bus that only allowed English Speaking students or only White Students, that would be called Racist so whats the difference most are here illegally anyways. I am getting tired of them being called the minorities when White Americans are really the minorities. Honestly look around, they are flying and pledging there alligance to another country's flag right here on AMERICAN soil. If they love there homeland so much, why are they here, this is America, come here legally and quit using our system that my family has always paid into not yours !!! I can't even get insurance for my kids but they get everything handed to them on a silver platter for breaking the law. God Bless America [/quote]

What is this really about? The bus was taking the children to another establishment where they can learn English. It was not a racist act. It is just like the school district has a special bus for mentally retarded children and it is not a racist thing.

Come on Dyehard, you can't just leave a kid stranded. If there was some mix up, talk to the parents about it.