Reply to How do we get more teachers and teachers' aides in MCPS?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote]This does make for interesting talk though. It seems there is either complete hate or complete compassion for illegal immigrants. But either way, you can not deny that your taxes are going towards assisting illegals or legal non-speaking English kids to get thru our public schools. And that many of them do NOT pay taxes. Illegals and diplomats do not and there are many within MCPS. That ESOL teachers 1.0 and 0.5 contracts have doubled or tripled in the last decade. That money used for them does take away from getting more classroom teachers and teacher's aides, does it not? My child used to be at MCPS and it was very clear at a PTA meeting that we were losing a 0.5 para (aide) and a 0.5 instrumental teacher to get a 1.0 ESOL the following year. People went ballistic but it didn't change the fact. Another year we spent $10,000+ of PTA money on headphones for those speaking other languages to understand meetings/conferences and guess what, we spent more money on translators for those headphones and no one that spoke another language came to the meetings/back to school night and conferences anyway. That is a TON of money completely wasted. We also spent 4x the amount copying papers in 3-4 other languages. I am sure that is different now with email/websites but it was really eye opening to see how much money goes to assist what was about 20% of my son's school 5-6 years ago.[/quote]

Losing para-educator (support staff) funding and increased allocation for a professional staff member are unrelated.  They didn't cut paras in order to add an ESOL teacher.  The allocations and funding are completely separate.  "Legal non-English speaking kids" are entitled to the same education as legal English-speaking kids.  Most children don't pay taxes.  Neither do most homeless people--should we kick those students out of schools too?  Sounds like your PTA should have done a better job of assessing the needs of the parents at your school.  Spending $10,000 on headphones (were they made of gold?) that nobody needed or used IS a huge waste of money.  You know that MCPS provides translators for parent conferences, right?  But I guess that's more tax money wasted.
 
[quote]So while people can fight for or against illegals, there is no denying that non-english speaking families do take away from teachers time(trying to understand the child), the amount of aides being uses, arts/music getting cut, and money in the PTA funds not going to the entire school, but to the specific groups.[/quote]

There is denying it because it's incorrect.  ESOL teachers are no more protected than classroom teachers in terms of allocation and funding.  When Weast increased the student-teacher ratio by one student, that went for ESOL teahcers as well.  In fact, many schools do not get the proper ESOL allocation because funding runs out.  Instrumental music teachers, etc, are based on the total number of students in the school.  ESOL teachers are based on the total number of ESOL students.  Special education teachers are based on the total number (or hours of service) of special education students in the school.
 
[quote]Is it not wrong to expect these families to LEARN English on their time with their money and not our taxes? Our ancestors did. Like another poster said, Chicago schools MADE the Germans. Other countries do not bend over backwards for those that do not speak their language, let alone entered illegally. I am not sure if all of this coddling and political correctness will EVER help. There has to be a line to draw in the sand. I am not sure where I stand on amnesty because more will just follow and in 10 more years we will be doing it again. I don't know - SHRUGS. That is my 2 cents for the day. [/quote]

Yes, it is wrong, and your ancestors likely did not (unless they were like mine, and came from England).  The Chicago references really allude to a concentrated xenophobic effort to get German immigrants to move elsewhere, namely out of the city.  In most German-settled areas in the 19th century, schools were actually taught in German.

Is your solution to not allow children in school unless they speak English?  Or should they come to school and be forced to learn English on their own with no additional support?  Then we will hear complaints about "them" taking away classroom teachers' attention.

I know it's hard to admit, but this is the country in which we live, which is a nation of many cultures and languages.  Illegal immigration is not the issue you're speaking of.  You seem to have an issue with even legal US residents (and US citizens!  Americans!) receiving English language support.  If you are bothered by this, then perhaps the only solution is to move to a whiter area with fewer or no immigrants.  Montgomery County is diverse (and maybe people like it that way) and the school system is charged with meeting the needs of ALL students, not just the white ones.[/quote]

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