Posted on 10/08/2005 5:49:16 AM PDT by Pharmboy
October 8, 2005 -- The City Council Education Committee yesterday paved the way for a new bill requiring the city to translate report cards and other school-related documents into nine languages. The Department of Education already translates many documents into Spanish, Russian and Chinese and is aiming to provide services in six other languages through an expanded translation unit this fall.
But supporters of the bill said the department's efforts do not go far enough.
Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens), lead sponsor of the bill known as the "Education Equity Act," said the measure attempts "to engage parents who may not be as involved in their children's education as they would like."
The lone opposition on the panel, Andrew Lanza (R-S.I.), called the bill a waste of taxpayer money that sends the message that learning English is not important.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Whatever...it sends the wrong message.
"This is America. We speak English here. Learn it."
"Need to spend more money on less education ping"
What, a parent can't distinguish between an A and an F on a report card? Yes, this is a total waste of taxpayer dollars. Someone must take the stand that this is America and we speak English.
On an aside, I'd like to tell you all about our high school football game last night. It was announced that according to federal law prayer was banned so a moment of silence was asked. Of course, we didn't have silence because the band, played "Amazing Grace." The flag was raised as everyone stood, placed their hands on their hearts and sang. Before the coin toss, both teams met on the 50 for a group prayer.
No Arabic because they all DESPERATELY want to learn English. The kids want to just fit in. Arab immigrants are the most low-keyed immigrants you'll find. We do get a lot of Christian Arabs, so that might be why.
No Hindi because Indians don't have ONE language that binds their country. The Hindi speaking THINK their language is THE ONE, but they get vociferous argument from the other 249 languages spoken in India.
They all speak English because that, harhar, is the one language they all agree to speak, as much as they HATE the idea.
Also, the Indians believe that, since their English is British, it's BETTER than our American English. They would NEVER condescend to have their report cards in anything but English.
My 2 cents.
"6. ??"
6. Ebonics
In NYC the Board of Elections has been sending out their notices of registration and elections on multi-lingual post cards for years. One was fowarded to me after I moved, my new neighbor couldn't believe it.
This is just so wrong in so many ways..........well at least 8, anyway :)
Spanish is already there, so you would need to add another. I had thought about Tagalog, but so many Phillipinos speak English, but you're probably right. And, you're also right about Hindi, now that you mention it. But, I think my Arabic pick is correct. Another language I thought about adding was Hebrew, but so many Israelis speak English.
America is no longer a "melting pot" of cultures but rather an "A la Carte" culture of communities that have no desire to assimilate into American society.
That's sure how the bureaucrats see it; when the immigrants are asked, they want their kids to learn English. If the school would have told my grandmother back in the early 1900s that they were going to teach her American-born son in Yiddish or Russian she would have looked at them as if they were crazy.
Multi-culti BS.
See #15.
I know that there aren't that many Vietnamese in NYC compared to, say, Texas or California, but they certainly are present. And, my kids are good friends with a few Amrican kids who are the daughters of Vietnamese immigrants and they are indeed top students. But the parents' English skills often aren't the best; that's why I guessed that language. But, you may very well be correct.
One article from June says it'll be eight languages: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Italian, French, Yiddish, Korean and Polish.
That article links to the MLA, Modern Language Assoc., which has data on the languages spoken across the country. For New York State the MLA list English, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Russian, French, Yiddish and Polish with Korean as next. The other 1-2 million who don't call into those categories will be S.O.L. I guess.
How many parents speak Yiddish in NYC anymore? That's crazy...
Lol.
You be RIGHT.
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