Wednesday, October 17, 2007

School sells kids for cash

Hillsboro parents sue over son's ESL placement
The parents of a Latino boy who does not speak Spanish filed a $700,000 federal lawsuit against the Hillsboro School District.

The parents allege that educators placed their son in an English as a Second Language program solely because of his ethnicity.

I believe that it actually had less to do with his ethnicity and more to do with the fact that the schools get more money for ESL kids. It just works out that it's the Hispanic kids who have to suffer.

I was seething with rage when I heard this report on the radio this morning. There was a school district (not Sherwood) that tried this garbage on one of my children. I am thoroughly convinced that there is a special place in Hell for the teachers/administrators/staff who stunt the learning of children for a little more funding.

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

ALL HAIL STEWIE!!!

MAX Redline said...

I heard a report on this today; the kid only understood Englishe yet was placed for close to a year in an ESL class where they "learn English from Spanish" (whatever that means). Basically, it appeared that the school kept him in there - over the objections of the parents - because they "felt that it was the right place for him to be".

I'm tired of people who "feel", rather than think.

Anonymous said...

Stewie Griffin in '08

That ought to make Beakeer happy.

Now, I heard the same report this morning regarding this kid in Hillsboro being placed in an ESL class, when he only speaks english.

Daniel is right (no pun intended) on this one. I truly believe that the school saw dollar signs for each student it placed in the ESL class. They saw brown skin and a Hispanic last name, and Viola...an ESL cash cow was born.

But what's funny is, nobody will be calling the School District out on the blatant racist stereotyping that led to this mistake. Profiling, plain and simple.

Where is the left standing on this issue? I haven't heard any complaints so far from the left. Not yet anyway.

Go Stewie.

Anonymous said...

still a criminal

Anonymous said...

I read about this a couple weeks ago in the Hispanic News paper. The school told his parents that it put him in ESL classes because he "looked Mexican". After his parents objected they assured them that they knew what they were doing.

This is pure crap and the school needs to pay for this. Even after the school found out they reasoned that the kid "must have grandparents or relatives who live in Mexico" as a reason to continue the ESL classes.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know if it was an ESL class or a language emersion class? They are different. Regardless, the parents wishes for THIER child should have been paramount. The moron who refused to solve the problem needs to be fired, plain and simple.

-Eli Barnhardt

Anonymous said...

Holy Crap Eli!

I'm checking my butt to see if pigs are flying out of it......nope.

We actually agree on something.

R Huse said...

Anthony, you will never see the left admit the utter racism of this. But, here is a prediction, just the fact that you brought this up will prompt one of the left wing sheep flock to pipe up about the racism sometimes displayed in comments here.

Screwing up a year at least of a kids life in school is far less significant than someone making a comment on a blog in their minds.

Rule number one from the left - Always follow your leaders, never question or criticize them. Always divert the argument.

Anonymous said...

r huse said:

Rule number one from the left - Always follow your leaders, never question or criticize them. Always divert the argument.

I reply:

Rule number one from the right: Always follow your leaders (treasonous), never question or criticize them (unpatriotic). Always divert the argument (it's Bill Clinton's fault).

Anonymous said...

Daniel,

Sorry to OT comment, but I couldn't get my e-mail through to you today.

Did you see this?

http://fredfile.fred08.com/blog/2007/ask-fred-building-the-border-fence/

Even though I totally admire Tom Tancredo, the time might have come for him to step aside and endorse another candidate in order to stop both Hillary Clinton and Rudy McRomney from winning.

- Gullyborg

Anonymous said...

I'm certainly NOT excusing the school administrators...but why didn't the parents go to the district superintendent? Why didn't they just yank the kid out of the school? I can think of half a dozen solutions just off the top of my head. Why did these parents just let things stand for an entire school year?

Anonymous said...

Okay, there's not much information in this story, even after Googling for more details. From what little information is provided, it sounds like the parents are claiming they "didn't know." How the hell do you "not know?" I've got a 1st grader and a 3rd grader going to public school. They bring homework home DAILY, I speak to the teachers WEEKLY, I attend Parent/Teacher conferences 4 TIMES A YEAR, and their son spent one and 1/2 school years in an ESL class and "THEY DIDN'T KNOW?" LOL, someone should be suing the parents for neglect! And NO, I'm not a "liberal.'

Anonymous said...

anon 10:24, from what I remember from the article I read the parents complained as soon as they found out be the teacher/school ignored their wishes stating that "He at least must have relatives in Mexico" I guess figuring that they would make him bilingual come hell or high water.

They tried numerous times to get him in regular classes to no avail.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:36: Where did you find the article, I would like to read it. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

This is probably more common than we know. I'm sure many children of illegals speak English just fine and limp along in ESL strickly for the extra funds. ESL should be funded equally eliminating this negative incentive.

Scottiebill said...

This situation in Hillsboro is bad for both the kid and his parents, but also for the school administrators who did not listen to the parents. Eli has it right. Someone at that school needs to be fired. Now! But is is not nearly as bad as the school administrators are doing in Portland, Maine where they are giving out birth control pills and condoms to 11-year-old students, without asking or telling the parents.

With the way things are in our Portland, that will likely be coming next. Susan Castillo and the teachers unions are probably already taking notes from Portland, Maine and stocking up on birth control pills and condoms and getting them stocked in all the middle schools around the area.

With the schools and the school boards around here, nothing should be surprising to anyone any more.

Anonymous said...

Daniel,

That was your kid being placed in Special Ed not ESL. Wasn't the school administration justified in that??? You seem to have a short memory or you are just trying to blow smoke up our asses.

Anonymous said...

I'd have some serious questions for the parents as well.

A few weeks I can see, maybe even a month or so. But a year and a half?? THe school certainly is culpable, but the parents should be ashamed of their parenting skills.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:38,

Denegrating someone's children.....wow.

You should be very proud of yourself.

Daniel said...

I would agree that it's hard to imagine parents being unaware (and vocally putting a stop to it) within a shorter time period.

Sit down as a family every night for dinner and quiz your kids about what they were indoctrinated with in the state school that day. That's what I do.

I fully expect Tancrdo to endorse another candidate when the time comes.

Anonymous said...

Here's a Google for Alek Villarado. More info from some of the articles.

Anonymous said...

The article I read was in the "Hispanic News" paper from a couple of weeks back. I actually sent Lars the link to the story but he never reported on until other news sources in the area picked up on it. I gave him the scoop 2 weeks ago but I guess he never reads his emails. They might still have the original article in their archives I am not sure.

Anonymous said...

From the article: ...parent-teacher meetings, homework and other notices gave no sure sign to them that the 5-year-old spent part of school time learning alongside Spanish speakers with limited English proficiency.

The article quotes the mother as saying her son's grades "plummeted to the bottom of the class and he dreaded going to school."

This just doesn't square with me. As a parent with two elementary students in public school and backpacks FULL of memos, homework to do, homework that's been graded, parent teacher conferences, etc, etc, etc...these people had to be brain dead to have "no sure sign" about what class her kid was in.

Furthermore, if your kid is at the bottom of the class and approaches each school morning with "dread" I would think a concerned parent would take a more forceful approach rather than let 1 and 1/2 school years pass with no solution.

Since there's no quotes provided from the father, I won't comment on him, but he should have been equally involved. Was he? Chances are "probably not."

I think most parents of elementary students would read this article and feel the same way I do, based on first hand experience.

Again, I am not excusing the school's responsibility in all this.

- Eli Barnhardt

R Huse said...

Anon 9.15

>I reply: Rule number one from the right: Always follow your leaders (treasonous),

I assume you are referring to Bush, since he is regularly denigrated on this blog and very rarely praised, I would have to assume you are new here, Welcome.

>never question or criticize them (unpatriotic).

Well, given that the blog is headed up by the words "Deport Gordon Smith" so much for that one.

>Always divert the argument (it's Bill Clinton's fault).

Yeah, I do see some of that, but pretty infrequently.

Anyway, welcome to the blog, I think if you read a while you will actually see a little more what I am talking about. Almost every second or third entry from Daniel is railing about some Republican (It looks like today he is pissed at Guliani, a republican ). Bush is not exactly the most liked president here, and more than a few are quite critical of him. That said, you will never see any of the left who comment here, ever, never ever, criticize one of their own.

Anonymous said...

r huse said:

....you will never see any of the left who comment here, ever, never ever, criticize one of their own.

I see there is plenty of criticism across the board for the Hillsboro school district.

Also, someone "from the left" criticized the "phantom paster poster" a couple of days ago...

To borrow a phrase from your post: "So much for that one."

Anonymous said...

Anthony refered to this post:

...That was your kid being placed in Special Ed not ESL. Wasn't the school administration justified in that???

Anthony replied:

In what way the poster's statement "denegrating" Daniel's kid? What is "denigrating"
about being a child with special needs? My nephew, whom I love greatly, is severely ADHD and he is currently in a "special needs" class. Have I just "denegrated" him by saying that?

Anonymous said...

SCRATCH THE POST ABOVE, BELOW IS THE CORRECT POST:

Anthony refered to this post from Anon 3:38:

...That was your kid being placed in Special Ed not ESL. Wasn't the school administration justified in that???

Anthony replied:
Denegrating someone's children.....wow.
You should be very proud of yourself.

Anthony, in what way is the poster's statement "denegrating" Daniel's kid? What is "denigrating"
about being a child with special needs? My nephew, whom I love greatly, is severely ADHD and he is currently in a "special needs" class. Have I just "denegrated" him merely by saying it?

Anonymous said...

The anon cretin's obvious intent was to claim that Daniel's children were special needs kids, in an attempt to make fun of him.

If you think this was inappropriate, take it up with the anon leftists "hero" who made the post.

Anonymous said...

To hell with "trying numerous times" over a year and a half time span. I would have yanked my kid out of that class and marched right over to the district superintendant's office and refused to move my ass out of his office until he fixed the problem and I had it in writing. This would have happened after attempt #2.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:49 am

If you're too stupid to realize when someone is making an attempt at ridicule, that's your problem.

You wanna pick a fight? Pick it with the dipshit that uses the "Special Ed" kids as a punchline.

Your attempt at making me feel bad with your sob story failed to hit its mark. I don't threaten or scare easily, and it's pretty hard to make me feel bad, or regret anything I have ever said.

I'm stronger and much smarter than that.

R Huse said...

Anon 8.38

Ahhhh-hem, clearing my throat a little bit from the laughter.

A paster and a school board member?

Well, that's real substantive criticism right there. I mean no doubt about it, the left really challenges their leadership if they go after big fish like that.

If that's the best you can come up with, its about time to move along on this one. That was pretty damn weak.

I gotta chuckle though, especially after you missed that the blog is headed by the deport Smith thing.

A paster and a school board member - Now that's funny 0 Thank you.

Anonymous said...

R Huse:

You did say NEVER, EVER, EVER. I mean, that is what you said, right? Never, ever, ever?

Anonymous said...

Anthony Delucca:

Well, you do go into drooling drool cup seizures pretty easily though...lol.

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