Limited English Proficiency students at Hylton High School are placed in mostly ESOL classes to learn as much English as fast as they can. At the same time they are taught content subject area and their teachers explain much of the specialized, esoteric vocabulary. The students make rapid progress educationally and SOL test scores seem to get better each year.
However, the cost of the educational achievement is delayed assimilation. ESOL classes at Hylton are creating a new segregation. If you are a newcomer and have limited skills in English, you are kept apart from American students.
The New York Times is running a series that examines how institutions are being forced to adjust from mandates like No Child Left Behind and what the effect is on students who are in essence, kept separate from the rest of the student body by virtue of the fact that they are in ESOL classes.
Some features of this mega-article are an excellent video of several Hylton High students, a blog, and some excellent charts. I have never been able to embed NYTimes vidoes so it won’t be making it to this blog. Use the link above to reach the article.
Alright: My son reported an incident to me which occurred in his history class. A young lady was feeling very ill and reported that to the teacher, asking to go to the office to either see the school nurse or call her parents to pick her up. The teacher refused her permission, telling her she should tough it out until the class was over. The young lady got sicker and another young man in her class got to his feet and reported that to the teacher, insisting that somebody should take her to the office. The teacher not only refused, but sent THAT young man to the office for detention. Moments later that young lady passed out and they had to call an ambulance to the school for her. The boy was rewarded with detention for his assertiveness.
Obviously it all got sorted out in the end, but the girl nearly died and the boy learned that doing what was right and standing up for someone was the wrong thing to do under zero tolerance.
Right you are AWCheny
We have created a generation of “wimps and bullies”. Wimps are the majority social class that are afraid to have advocacy groups for their own ethnicity, gender, race or religion, because they might be compared to being a “racist”, a form of liberal political bullying so that only the real racists and minority classes who practice today’s form of racism can have political power. These racist “protected classes” are the new bullies of America, getting it their way and only for their own ethnicity.
Read the book Guilty:Liberal victims and their assult on America by Ann Coulter and you might get a clue why everyone is so angry at the current lies and the current bullies, and saying screw the progress made in the 1950’s racial issues, that are no longer equitable or fair.
On this blog, liberal minds want to bully others into accepting “illegal” immigrants, even though doing so is against the law.
They want to form minority advocacy groups that BULLY everyone not belonging to these minorities (using ethnicity, gender, racial and religious advocacty groups) and use their own self-elected ethnic-centric leaders, to politically get them privileges as members of a “protected class” instead of an “income class”. The kids who do the “best” in school and make the best grades in school are BULLIED into attending school assistance programs for the “un-gifted” among them and forced to be taught to the lowest common denominator. These KIDs are FED-UP with people who demand special privileges, special grades, special assistancre and special consideration to THEY CAN PASS THE TESTS their more “gifted” peers pass easily.
OBAMA is going to put a STOP to dumbing down the academic excellance in our schools in a race to the bottom. He is going to hold ALL KIDS accountable for those test scores, and fire teachers who can’t teach “knowledge” rather than test passing skills for “less-gifted kids” trying to pass the SOL and failing by every metric miserably.
This is why Singapore has the third smartest kids in the world right now, they do not have a massive influx of “illegal” immigrants of primarily low-income and low skill level making up 30% of their students and 30% of the failing grades.
I predict you will not see any change in demographic test scores as long as you have “illegal aliens” coming into the country, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU BULLIES PUT INTO IT and hurt the gifted kids from all ethnicities who really have the best skills to increase our GDP, but get no program funding becuase of HUD and 8A policies to “leave no child behind”. We naively believe that all kids have equally talented brains and equal IQs.
Obama needs to target ALL “low income” families for funding, not ethnicities.
AWCheney,
That is story of something horribly unfair and dangerous, and I’m sorry that it happened. Do you feel that this kind of thing is a common application of zero tolerance policies/regulations, or a misapplication of them?
In my experience, most zero tolerance policies have to do with weapons and drugs. In fact, I believe that the only mention of “zero tolerance” in the PWCS regulations have to do with these two topics. I could be wrong, though.
If you read the regs, you will see that they are not truly “zero tolerance” policies at all. Both 735-1 and 775-1 contain the following caveat:
“…unless the Superintendent’s designee (the area associate superintendent, the Director of OSMAP, or an OSMAP hearing officer) or the School Board finds that special circumstances justify a lesser disciplinary action, or no action at all, based on the facts of a particular situation.”
In any case, I still feel it is valuable to recognize that people are angry about something and try to teach them to address it in appropriate ways (assertively) rather than aggressively or offensively. No matter what your feelings are about zero tolerance, do you think it’s a good idea for schools to encourage appropriate expression, given that you think children need models for this? Do you really think that bullies are the only models for anger expression, and that there aren’t school staff who are currently or are able to teach children those skills?
Here’s another example: Mother washes child’s cargo shorts after a camping trip, notices they feel a little heavy but returns them to kid. Kid (who is an honor student) wears shorts to school, notices object in pocket and pulls it out–it’s a Swiss pocketknife from the camping trip. Of course, another child notices and immediately tattles. And there is no way the child can make this situation right by either hiding the pocket knife or turning it in–either way, child is screwed.
Mom and Dad go to school, explain the situation, and child gets mandatory 10 day suspension and psychological evaluation. And that was only the beginning of the fallout.
Aren’t you glad we have “zero tolerance”? The kids are so much safer now.
“In any case, I still feel it is valuable to recognize that people are angry about something and try to teach them to address it in appropriate ways (assertively) rather than aggressively or offensively.”
I couldn’t agree with you more, but when my children were in school (after Columbine and 9/11, of course), zero tolerance was not limited to “weapons and drugs.” I doubt that it has changed, in that respect, in many schools. The thing is, there is a fine line between assertiveness and aggression…and it’s best taught by the differentiation of enforcement between the two. I know quite well that, had I been a student in the school system in these years, I would have spent most of those years as a regular in detention…if I didn’t get expelled, that is. I was a kid who sent the TEACHER to the Principal (in my HS years, because they didn’t dare send ME to the Principal…I left the classroom and brought the Principal back with me when I was in Elementary School) if I felt that someone had been wronged.
“…unless the Superintendent’s designee (the area associate superintendent, the Director of OSMAP, or an OSMAP hearing officer) or the School Board finds that special circumstances justify a lesser disciplinary action, or no action at all, based on the facts of a particular situation.”
The problem here, DiversityGal, is that these people don’t know these kids, so the “special circumstances” portion is not generally taken into consideration. These are all bad kids who will lie, right?…WRONG…”Zero tolerance” is very much like laws without justice.
Yankee, I don’t think the swiss army knife case happened around here. I read about that somewhere else. There is also a butter knife story circulating out there somewhere. Then there are the parents who bitch and whine because their son gets suspended for bringing a toy gun to school. I am glad I don’t have to have the wisdom of Solomon on these issues.
The problem is that the minute you make exception for one person, everyone holds it up as an example. By the time the lawyers and courts finish with whatever happened, it isn’t worth it. The swiss army scout knife that got left in a pocket now becomes an excuse for some thug to bring a machete.
How do you determine who starts a fight? It seems awfully easy for us to sit here and second guess a people who have to be the eyes and ears of society for the better part of the day. Everyone tells their own story. Who is right, who is wrong? Naturally our own children are right and someone else’s are wrong.
Michael, regarding:
I think you mischaracterize this blog. How do we bully? I have never noticed anyone calling for open borders or acceptance of illegal immigration. I feel most of us thing there is a better way to handle it than the way it was handled here in PWC. I also feel most of us want comprehensive immigration reform.
Moon-howler, that machete vs. Swiss Army knife is precisely my point…there is no comparison, so how can they be equated. One is considered a deadly weapon (there is no agrarian culture need to be carrying a machete around on the streets around here, much less into a school), and the other is merely a pocket utility tool. Like I said…laws without justice.
Could zero tolerance be compared to Rule of Law? An interesting question I’ve been pondering…
I would not think you could make that comparision DiversityGal, if an illegal immigrant does not break the law, then they would have no issue with the resolution in a practical sense. They would have no interaction with any consequences of being here illegally. So there is some tolerance.
I consider this an example of liberal mindset bullying of Emma, who is angry at what “illegal” immigrants have done to her community, by WHWN telling her her views and feelings are false.
“Evidence. We bury you with evidence time and time again. This thread began with a news article that corroborates exactly what we’ve learned the hard way in PWC. That the Anti-Immigrant Lobby’s agenda does not benefit anyone at the local level, no one. Not even those who initially thrive on the hate and hysteria it generates. That’s evidence. Hard evidence. But your only response is to dismiss the evidence by attacking the messengers. You pick through this thread trying to find something over which to feign outrage and indignation.”
And this:
First of all, consider her impossible situation, hampered by a complete lack of knowledge on the issue beyond the basic Anti-Immigrant Lobby talking points. These very talking points form the rudimentary foundations of Robb’s knowledge, which now so vastly out-paces Emma’s talking points that there is no comparison. Emma’s missing ingredient, of course, is the capacity for free thought. But that capacity, I sense, is growing in her. That is why her denial stage is so vehement. The truth is dawning on her but she doesn’t have the guts to admit she was wrong.
She finds Robb especially threatening because he demonstrates the courage she lacks.
And this is bullying:
I am neither an attorney or a beaurocrat. Perhaps someone can tell me something here that I have missed or not included. However, if a public hearing was required before passing that resolution, there was none. Citizens’ time is not a public hearing simply because it can be about any topic. A public hearing is about a specific topic. A public hearing is advertised thirty days in advance.
If folks are going to be absolutists about ‘rule of law,’ then at least let’s be consistent. No, the Brookings Institute authors are not ‘liars.’ No public hearing was held, not according to code. Was a mock hearing held? Perhaps. I don’t even know that a public hearing is legally required for that specific resolution to have finally passed. Someone else can do that research. That does not alter the fact that no public hearing, according to county and state definition, was held in accordance with the Code of Virginia.
Criticize the Brookings Institute Report if you want. That is fair game. But they were not inaccurate about the public hearing.”
And this:
Some of the 67 jurisdictions who have trained for 298(g) with ICE are using 287(g) as a way to harass immigrants and to put ice detainers on individuals stopped for minor infractions like urinating in public and open alcohol containers, contrary to the objectives of the program.
And this:
Ok Rick, Go get some more marching orders from Greg. How about spinning them over there where you can have an adoring audience clapping and holding up waving lighters in praise while you spew lies.
Furthermore, if you are associated with Mullen Elementary, I doubt if you have to come into contact with Supervisor does since he is the Woodbridge supervisor. Are you still locked on to the dark screen expose of the chickens supposedly in the Woodbridge district that were all blamed on Mr. Principi?
And this (John Grey):
Oh, please know 9.3% were covered by MediCARE – thats senior citizens (another haven for illegals) and the remaining 17% by MediCAID – thats the poor folk without insurance – but certainly all illegals. You changed my mind there, pal! Way to go. Good work on your part. Your diligent detective work really showed me these retired military and senior citzens are in fact ILLEGALS!
And this (John Grey)
That statement alone illustrates how pathetically ignorant you are of business operations. And your last sentence? Laughable. You can’t even read. My name is spelled G-R-A-Y, not E-Y. Finally, neither the CHC, Frank Principi nor I need “defending”, especially to the likes of you. We don’t need, want or seek your approval.
Shall I go on?
Bullying is not politely listening to others viewpoints, discussing your point and doing so without personal attack, or character assassination, or demeaning tone to a person’s thoughts and feelings. Bullying is also targeting people instead of issues (like Cory Stewart or Greg L.)
Bullying is also saying things about organizations as opinions and political manipulations rather than using a strong pro/con debate without emotion.
And I won’t even go into Mackie’s outrageous racism that others here tolerate and even support.
Moonhowler, though you rarely do it, your peers and other contributors do, and the general tone of almost all commentors on this blog, and the types of articles selectively picked to highlight the plight of “illegal” immigrants rather than the effects of their lawbreaking is political bullying of people into not being angry about “illegal” immigration, and telling them they simply MUST accept it, because their beliefs about it are not valid.
If you started selecting and posting MORE articles about the negative effects of “illegal” immigration I would be more likely to believe that you do not bully others into submission with one-sided articles. THAT IS the VICTIM approach if the liberal mindset that Ann Coulter pointed out, one sided reporting and discussing relentlessly only one side of the issue. Your side is “pro-illegal” immigration because you never publish articles agreeing with “anti-illegal” immigration.
Shall I provide more proof of this?
Michael, you’re overstating your premise. First of all, Emma is not a “wimp” who can not stand up for herself and, although your examples are strong opinions, many based upon false assumptions, I don’t think that they exactly fall into the category of “bullying.” Also, Michael, the Administrators of this site have been very clear about the direction which they intended to take for this site, which happens to be their blog…although they have actually toned down the rhetoric considerably over the course of time. I must say, however, the constant, virtually libelous, harangues against people who are not here (Greg, John S., Corey), nor care to be (can’t say I blame them) is quite tasteless, but I should like to point out that it is primarily coming from the commenters here and not the Admins. Of course, the same can be said about Greg’s site where they often rant, and VERY rudely, about the ladies over here.
Insofar as Mackie is concerned, it’s been a long time since any tolerance has been shown for HIS racist rantings, although they may have shown more patience with him than they might the adults around here.