Posted on 04/08/2006 5:35:41 PM PDT by the anti-liberal
Monday is national illegal alien day. (List of events here.) Some schools are suspending students who walk out, but not here in the People's Republic of Montgomery County, Md. They're going to earn school credit for skipping school and protesting enforcement of our immigration laws (via WaPo):
The Montgomery County schools' decision to grant students community service credit for attending Monday's immigration rights protest is raising concern among some parents as well as activists who say officials should focus on education, not political advocacy.
Montgomery is the only Washington area school system offering students credit for taking part in the event, to be held on the Mall -- a decision Superintendent Jerry D. Weast said is consistent with how the system has operated.
"This is nothing new,'' schools spokesman Brian K. Edwards said about the decision. "Advocacy is allowed."
But in the superheated atmosphere surrounding the immigration debate, the decision is drawing sharp criticism from many quarters. Yesterday, school system offices were flooded with angry phone calls as word of its action circulated among conservative radio hosts.
In a memo sent to Board of Education members, Weast said that "callers were abusive to school system staff, using derogatory ethnic comments in expressing their views." He added, "This is not the first time the national debate on immigration policy has engendered harsh commentary for the school system and staff as a target for political purposes."
Edwards said students will receive service learning hours for participating in the rally as long as they do so under the supervision of a community group that has been approved by the school system.
Student participation in the event is being organized by CASA of Maryland Inc., a Silver Spring-based group that works with the Latino community. It is CASA's role -- as organizer -- that has some questioning whether the school system is allowing an outside group to push its political agenda on students. "I do understand that CASA offers some worthy services to immigrants and that's noble, but it's a stretch to allow students to protest for a particular side of an issue,'' said parent Melissa Andersen. "I'm taken aback by it. I think it's poor judgment."
CASA of Maryland is a taxpayer-funded, open-borders organization whose leader made headlines in February when he threatened the children of pro-immigration enforcement advocates:
An article published yesterday by the Sean Sands of Maryland Community Newspapers Online quoted Casa de Maryland’s Executive Director Gustavo Torres saying “We are going to picket their houses, and the schools of their kids and go to their work. If they are going to do this to us, we are going to respond in the same way, to let people know their neighbors are extremists, that they are anti-immigrant. They are going to hear from us.”
Will the Montgomery schools give credit to schoolkids who participate in counter-rallies held by the Minutemen or other pro-immigration enforcement advocates?
Contact info for the Montgomery County superintendent's office:
Office of the Superintendent of Schools Carver Educational Services Center 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 122 Rockville, MD 20850
Fax: 301-279-3205
Ms. Suzanne Peang-Meth
Administrative Manager for the Superintendent
Phone: 301-279-3381
Mrs. Valerie Jardine
Copy Editor/Administrative Secretary
Phone: 301-279-3381
Mrs. Juliette G. Treviño
Secretary
Phone: 301-279-3381
Ms. Reginette Schafer
Administrative Secretary I
Phone: 301-279-3381
Reason number 112,765 to homeschool...
For your lists
So, I assume that kids can get some extra credit for coming down to the DC Chapter pro-troops FReep at Walter Reed every Friday night? No? Really?
Screw the fence on the Rio Grande. I want a fence on the Potomac to keep Maryland's cooties the hell out of my Old Dominion.
}:-)4
The more pressure we keep on Mexico, immigration-wise, the more reformers
inside of Mexico can be emboldened and empowered to scale back monopolists'
abuses down there which keep our own country flooded with economic refugees.
Here's an interesting new thread on new legal reform progress that finally
emerged in Mexico I think as a result of immigration reform's failure:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611677/posts
We can make a difference for our sake, and their's as well. Isn't it the
neighborly thing to do?
Thought this might 'interest' you.
Unbelievable! Encouraging kids to skip school to support illegal behavior!!
"..schools spokesman Brian K. Edwards said about the decision. "Advocacy is allowed." "
Yeah right, unless of course the students who want to advocate patriotism and wave Old Glory then it doesn't apply. Hypocrisy!
I haven't had time to read the whole thing, but wouldn't it be nice if these Mexican flag waving law-breakers decided to return to their country because they realize there're economic opportunities for them right there at home as a result of this?
Pinch me...
Let them know about our nationwide rally!
http://www.illegalimmigrantprotest.com/
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=111
Journalism and Education must have a monopoly on morons.
I live in Montgomery County, MD. I pay my taxes to them every year. I'm sorry.
Thought you might be interested in this.
Perhaps this is because it's not the first time the MoCo School system has given aid and comfort to border-jumpers?
You're right about that. And I guarantee you that many up here would gladly return to Mexico if they could find adequate work down there. Do you think they WANT to scrub toilets and pans and breathe pesticides in the USA? I guarantee you that they miss their families. That's why remittances are so abundant.
This is total and complete idiocy. Montgomery County
has always been run by lunatics.
Perhaps the people will someday stand up and stop
behaving as lemmings.
The sickness of the sixties is coming back to haunt us...
NO. Because those groups are not
community group(s) that has been approved by the school system.
Wouldn't it be interesting to learn how this so-called 'approval' process works and who the participants in the process are?
Maryland's Ithaca.
Not only does that appear to be the case, it appears that they are bent on producing more into perpetuity.
That's the only way Socialism can be materialized in this country - if the majority are morons.
That's why I believe properly educating the young is the best long term strategy to maintain our great country and keep it great.
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