Posted on 11/01/2005 7:08:04 PM PST by kingattax
TALLAHASSEE - -- All Florida students in kindergarten through second grade would get mandatory Spanish lessons starting in 2007 under a new bill filed by state Sen. Les Miller, D-Tampa.
"More and more of our young people need to learn a second language," said Miller, the Senate minority leader. "We just thought that this was a good start for these young people."
Some people like the idea but wonder about its practicality.
Younger students "learn a foreign language without pain," said Dorothy Carregal, superintendent of foreign languages for Hillsborough schools.
But the legislation, Senate Bill 522, doesn't say how schools would pay for the classes, other than to allow using state and private funds and grants.
If Miller's legislation becomes a mandate for schools, Carregal said it would create funding and personnel problems.
"And even if they give us the money, finding the teachers would be very difficult," she said.
In 1999, the Hillsborough County School Board found that 82 percent of parents were interested in elementary students learning conversational Spanish in class. But the board also found that twice-weekly classes for students in kindergarten through fifth grade could cost as much as $4.3 million in the first year.
A lack of funding helped kill the idea of offering the instruction systemwide, but Carregal said Hillsborough has five full-time certified Spanish teachers teaching kindergarten through fifth grade, at four schools.
Miller said he has not talked to other politicians or educators, but "if we have to negotiate some things, we will."
He is seeking the 11th U.S. congressional seat vacated by Rep. Jim Davis, a Tampa Democrat who is running for governor.
Maria Coady, an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Florida, said even though the state has a great resource of Spanish-speaking people, not enough have been encouraged to go into teaching.
The Florida Department of Education hasn't seen the bill or reviewed funding issues, a representative said.
BOO...HISS....NO WAY, JOSE!!!
"Younger students "learn a foreign language without pain," said Dorothy Carregal, superintendent of foreign languages for Hillsborough schools."
Unless the language you want them to learn is English!
In theory, this sounds great. I'd love for every kid to learn a foriegn language, as it definitely is part of a great education.
Unfortunately, this comes off as a step towards complete bilingual status for the area, a la Ontario, Quebec, etc.
Oh, just use money that would have been spent on teaching Math and English. It's not like the kids were going to learn Math or English anyway. And they won't learn Spanish either. But we can feel good about trying.
I just posted my very first thoughts after reading the headline...
THEN, I remembered that as a child in public school in Boulder, Colorado...in the 60's and 70's, I was forced to take Spanish lessons every single year until the 8th grade...
THEN, and only then, we were allowed to pick a different language...or none at all....
Other than a very few words...I do NOT remember Spanish..and I don't WANT to...
ping
Our children should learn a foreign language. As long as it isn't French.
Isn't that racism? Why did she pick Spanish? Is she concerned that the large Hispanic population down there can't learn English? Why not Chinese or Ebonics or Norwegian?
Nope, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to tell you what I really think of this moronic idea. I want to remain on FR and if I say what I'm thinking I'll get booted.......Grrrrrrrrr
I don't like the mandate aspect of this, but I do wish I would've paid greater attention to Junior High spanish way back when had I known I'd have this much interaction on my profession with Hispanics.
If for now other reason than to hear what's being said about me when I enter the room.
"IF they want to live in Mexico, let them go back!!!"
Uh, dude, many there speak Spanish 'cause they came from Cuba. You remember Cuba, where immigration is praised by the Right?
Yeah. Mandatory to take Spanish but Math, Science and other essential technical subjects are 'Electives'. The students will graduate from college not knowing how to balance a checkbook but they'll be right at home with the Illegal housemaids and gardeners in their neighborhoods. What a crock.
I don't understand this. Half the state speaks Spanish as their first language and will teach it for about $0.75 per hour.....
One can not effectively engage an enemy when half one's efforts are devoted to trying to determine whether the right tool is diplomacy or threat.
Actually it wouldn't be so bad if there were multiple languages availible to choose from. After all we're a nation of immigrants, not a nation of strictly spanish speaking immigrants.
If we're going to play the diversity game we may as well do it right and not exclude anyone.
I wonder if they've got a bill mandating English in Mexico.
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