my comments in red




One of the fathers of bilingual education in the U.S. says the program is failing immigrant students – and actually preventing their integration into American society.

For millions of youngsters, bilingual education has been a bridge to nowhere, producing shockingly high dropout rates, social Balkanization, and shattered American dreams.

Frustrated parents and voters have begun to fight back against bilingual education approaches that put kids last.

When bilingual education became federal law in 1974, "We expected students to be in bilingual classes for only a year or so," former New York Congressman Herman Badillo, chief author of the 1974 legislation, tells NewsMax.

"But we put no limit in the bill. We never suspected that a bilingual lobby would emerge that would keep students in bilingual classes for two, four, six, or eight years!"

When Badillo moved to the U.S. from Puerto Rico at age 12, he spoke little English. He learned firsthand the difficulties youngsters face when plunged into speaking English, a difficult languages to master. But more painful for Badillo was learning bitter lessons later as an idealistic Democratic politician, and as the first Puerto Rican elected to Congress, about the selfish ways of progressive special interests.


"Instead of helping students learn English, bilingual education became monolingual education in Spanish," Badillo says.

And because school policies of "social promotion" advanced students without regard to their mastery of curriculum, "many graduated high school barely able to read or write in any language," he says. "Bilingual education often produced bi-illiteracy."


Yet another idea sold to us by idealistic liberals that is failing miserably. As always, their ideas SOUND wonderful (idealistic). Reality almost always proves them naive and with unintended negative consequences. Which they are able to easily dismiss. They were unintended. Even though there were those WARNING them of these consequences BEFORE hand.


Bilingual Education Is Getting an F

I know that learning Spanish and some Italian was the single most detrimental part of my education. Without that, I'd likely be CEO of a fortune 500 company.

__________________
"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases."

-Thomas Jefferson

Ummmm.... that made sense.

Ummmm.. I guess

I Told ya Time after time after time ,,Again and again!! PUBLIC EDUCATION DOES NOT WORK!!! And Most of the Teachers are unquilfied and very greedy to become teachers!! Its a Waste of my TAX MONEY!! Thats why DONT PAY THE IRS this April 15th!!!

So do you think that all the successful people went to private schools??? Wake up Ox. The fact that you didn't succeed because you had a public education doesn't mean that others can't.

__________________


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

Private education can make all the differance.Why you think Kids in Japan are succeeding and were not? Looks like you need to wake up!

Um, because they have a homogenous society whose education system doesn't have to waste resources jumping through hoops to accomodate and appease anybody who can afford a pro-bono lawyer?
Um, because their society almost universally recognizes that education is the key to advancement, rather than having an appreciable segment that places a higher value on Disrupting education?

Well, it can if one compares two schools of unequal caliber. There are some decent government schools. And there are probably some crappy non-government-controlled schools. I agree that we'd be better off privatizing the education industry (if it's done in a responsible manner), but one cannot honestly make such inflamatory blanket statements.

__________________
Today's forecast: Government corruption.

Tomorrow's forecast: 100% chance of more 'politics as usual'

Maybe it's finally time to vote Libertarian

Hon, maybe on your little ward no one has succeeded but outside of the mental hospital, there's plenty of successful people who attended public school.

__________________


"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

The bulk of your educational success comes down to how involved your parents were with it.

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"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

President George W. Bush, 8-5-2004

Carolina Politics Online

THIS IS REAL HOPE AND CHANGE!

Ah

Another part of the problem. many parents are so caught up with hedonism and/or narcissistic lifestyles they "Don't have time for such things."

Our culture of instant gratification wouldn't have anything to do with THAT now would it ?

Absolutely true.


See? We can agree on things!

__________________
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

good one......but you forgot the introduction of "self esteem" training..

__________________
No individual can plan his own existence in their view.

So the state planners must arrogate to themselves the right to manipulate any sector of the economic system if the good of “society” or the “general welfare” is paramount.

Ipso- if the rights of the individual get in the way, the rights of the individual must be sublimated.

The Road to Serfdom
FA Hayek (interpretation)


Mortgage Backed Security survivor

What?? Where are you typing from? The Department of Corrections?

Personally, I've always thought getting a bilingual education is good in today's world, where people and jobs are global, and dealing with people from different countries or cultures is becoming extremely common.

It's a huge asset for anyone job wise to speak another language, for instance, Spanish, or Chinese ... in fact, it's become almost essential to get a good package (at least outside the US it has, I doubt thats the case in the US as yet).

Now, if only I had picked up more Chinese than I did when I was in China!

Being bilingual has it's rewards, speaking from experience. So much so that I am going to learn a third one very soon. I think every human harnesses the ability to know 2-3 languages.

But Trips and Sam are right WRT the parents and the current culture. It's a shame.