Thread: Situation at my kid's school - need help

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

Originally Posted by SicNTiredInSoCal

Great suggestions and thanks everyone!
I loooooves me some diversity!

This is a nice Christmas song sung in Navajo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NzARB-VeUc

very nice steve

know it's a bit late for it now but I would have investigated the schools in the area I was moving to before doing so. Especially since you were trying to escape this nonsense from your prior location.

Investigate what? Would you have thought to ask "Oh by the way, are you tools gonna annoy me by making my kid sing in spanish on Christmas? Anyway Sickn, I think N.B. way is the best. Its does make you feel better when you at least try. It sux that your son should have to stay home instead of performing, but if you are going to watch him, maybe he should. If you hear him forced to sing in spanish, I fear for the safety of the school board.

Originally Posted by pattyk

know it's a bit late for it now but I would have investigated the schools in the area I was moving to before doing so. Especially since you were trying to escape this nonsense from your prior location.

Investigate what? Would you have thought to ask "Oh by the way, are you tools gonna annoy me by making my kid sing in spanish on Christmas? Anyway Sickn, I think N.B. way is the best. Its does make you feel better when you at least try. It sux that your son should have to stay home instead of performing, but if you are going to watch him, maybe he should. If you hear him forced to sing in spanish, I fear for the safety of the school board.

I would have gone online to find out the demographic make-up of the city I was moving to for one thing. A lage Hispanic population would have been a dead give-a-away. There are ways to find out from the school officials about their school's ciriculums and yes, I would ask point blank if Spanish is pushed in anyway.

Should have actually gone to the schools to look for yourself. Of course they will say they are on par with other "good" schools and the language itself doesn't mean a school is bad or good as many will consider being bi-lingual or multi-lingual a benefit but those same people don't always get that the point is speaking the language of the country in that country which happens to be English.

Far as what you can do is very little. Try and get local papers to write a story on it. Find other parents in the school to sign a petition who feel the same way and take it to the school board (no large support though and they will ignore you), try going to the mayor. If you can get others in the community especially parents to join you you could try a small protest outside the school. Racial discrimination always gets peoples attention but you wouldn't be able to push it that far besides hoping to draw in a few supporters or get an article published.

SicNTiredInSoCal
I can understand your frustration, if I may suggest you confront the school board President on this issue and claim "Discrimination"...
And also, say you will talk with an Attorney, this IS STILL America.
For how much longer is anyones guess. Good Luck, God Bless.

Here is the demographic make-up on my new town:

White alone - 5,528 (63.9%)
Hispanic - 2,154 (24.9%)
Asian alone - 491 (5.7%)
Two or more races - 211 (2.4%)
American alone - 184 (2.1%)
Black alone - 82 (0.9%)


...and from the town I moved from:

White alone - 90,758 (52.5%)
Hispanic - 54,473 (31.5%)
Asian alone - 13,061 (7.6%)
Black alone - 6,705 (3.9%)
Two or more races - 4,924 (2.8%)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone - 1,738 (1.0%)
Other race alone - 753 (0.4%)
American alone - 489 (0.3%)


I don't need "you should haves". I spent nearly five years of my life trying to get out here and took plenty of time investigating. The schools are what they are, and if we could afford If I'd had my way, I'd have left the damn state years ago - but this was the compromise and we love it out here. My hope is it will make are remaining years a little more bearable until one day we can leave.
As I mentioned (and PattyK, thank you!) this 2/3 spanish and 1/3 English really threw me for a loop with it's inequality...I would expect from here a spnglish song or a Feliz Navidad-but this is over the top.

I'm trying to see bilingual as a "good" thing. What bothers me the most is that (I feel) it's being shoved down my kids throats. Learning spanish should be a choice - not a requirement. I will begrudgingly encourage my kids to learn it if they WANT to, because unfortunately, thats where we are headed and they will likely need it to have some sort of advantage later in life. GAG...

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

Originally Posted by SicNTiredInSoCal

Great suggestions and thanks everyone!
I loooooves me some diversity!

This is a nice Christmas song sung in Navajo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NzARB-VeUc

Very nice Steve! Thanks! I like it...for some odd reason. I guess because it's not spanish! lol!

I would try to gather a small group together outside the school once the program is over. Stand in the middle of the parking lot and sing christmas carols along with patriotic songs, all in English only. Ask anyone to join in who wants to, including Hispanics. Have a song list prepared to hand out to folks...everything from Jingle Bells and Rudolph to the Star Spangled Banner to America the Beautiful. Nothing wrong with singing songs in a parking lot if anyone tries to complain about it. It's kind of a back-handed way to prove a point without alienating anyone....

Originally Posted by HippieChick

I would try to gather a small group together outside the school once the program is over. Stand in the middle of the parking lot and sing christmas carols along with patriotic songs, all in English only. Ask anyone to join in who wants to, including Hispanics. Have a song list prepared to hand out to folks...everything from Jingle Bells and Rudolph to the Star Spangled Banner to America the Beautiful. Nothing wrong with singing songs in a parking lot if anyone tries to complain about it. It's kind of a back-handed way to prove a point without alienating anyone....

I like your idea!

Originally Posted by Oldglory

Originally Posted by pattyk

know it's a bit late for it now but I would have investigated the schools in the area I was moving to before doing so. Especially since you were trying to escape this nonsense from your prior location.

Investigate what? Would you have thought to ask "Oh by the way, are you tools gonna annoy me by making my kid sing in spanish on Christmas? Anyway Sickn, I think N.B. way is the best. Its does make you feel better when you at least try. It sux that your son should have to stay home instead of performing, but if you are going to watch him, maybe he should. If you hear him forced to sing in spanish, I fear for the safety of the school board.

I would have gone online to find out the demographic make-up of the city I was moving to for one thing. A lage Hispanic population would have been a dead give-a-away. There are ways to find out from the school officials about their school's ciriculums and yes, I would ask point blank if Spanish is pushed in anyway.

Exactly what I did when I decided to move away from Mesa, AZ and back to Michigan. One of the first things I did was check the demographics.