Boston agrees to help non-English-speakers in classroom

Boston Globe ^ | October 1, 2010 | James Vaznis

[reaganaut1]

About 8,300 students in Boston who are not fluent in English will receive the extra help to which they are legally entitled to overcome their language barriers, under a settlement reached between federal civil rights investigators and the Boston public schools.

The agreement, announced this afternoon by local and federal officials, caps off an investigation launched earlier this year by the US departments of education and justice, who were concerned that Boston schools had been denying thousands of students appropriate services to learn English since 2003.

The students, starting this school year, now receive specialized instruction in core academic classes, such as English and math, that is designed for students not fluent in English. These classes will be taught in English, but teachers will use more simplified English and other techniques geared for students with a language barrier. On limited occasions, the teachers will speak in a student's native tongue.

The district also has agreed to overhaul its testing of students for fluency in English. The federal investigation found that about 4,000 students should have been receiving services, but were not because the district's inadequate testing erroneously determined they were fluent.

"All English Language Learner students deserve a quality education free from discrimination that will help them prepare for success in life," Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, said in a statement.

Thomas E. Perez, a US Justice Department official in the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement that "all students who are not proficient in English are entitled to language acquisition services to overcome language barriers that impede their equal and meaningful participation in educational programs.''

[reaganaut1]

Why don't we stop importing people who don't know English?

[a fool in paradise]

Knowing the language and nation’s history used to be required to become a citizen. Now becoming a citizen just means paying higher taxes, going to jury duty, and being at risk of prosecution for DWI.

[equalitybeforethelaw]

Great, less resources for the english speakers. Ever wonder why english speakers are sending their kids to private school? It because their kids are ignored in favor of spanish speakers and special needs kids.

[max americana]

I recommend reading “Only the Paranoid survive” by Andy Grove, one of the founders of Intel. His family escaped a socialist country and came to America speaking no English. Instead of whining like these beggars we have nowadays, he went to the public library and learned reading and pronouncing English words and sentences because he didnt want to be left behind on schoolwork.

Now we have “immigrants” who dont want to work and have the “what do u have for me” attitude.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Why don’t we stop importing people who don’t know English? “

Are you against the balkanization of America?

Are you against the Democrats having a monopoly of any meaningful public office within the next 10 or 20 years?

Shame on you!

[ElayneJ]

However, these students will need to be mainstreamed in order to ensure that no discrimination takes place. So, across the board, there will be more emphasis on basic language skills than on more advanced learning. Another way to ensure that our schools will remain noncompetitive with the rest of the world.

[small farm girl]

Hmmm, my Great-Grandmother taught herself how to read, speak, and write English by reading the legal/court proceedings section of paper to herself. My Grandmother spoke of it often. Now I wonder, how was it ever possible for her to raise two children in Boston, educate them, feed them, and divorce her deadbeat husband, all without one public dime or having special English classes provided for her. (Swedish legal immigrant 1896)
Oh, yeah, SHE WORKED HARD!

[kenavi]

Mass. schoolkids score the highest in the country on reading scores. That is about to change.

[MissTed]

"all students who are not proficient in English are entitled to language acquisition services..

I hate that word "entitled". They're "entitled" to our money..lovely...

[a fool in paradise]

Saw a CNN “headline” a couple of weeks ago bemoaning that some people felt they HAD to drop their accents to get/hold a job.

If journalists are going to get up in my face about how to pronounce Nicaragua and Pakistan, seems others should make an effort to enunciate.

[businessprofessor]

This settlement will impede their acquisition of English. Undoubtedly, this settlement will require years of bilingual instruction. English language immersion will not be permitted.

[crosshairs]

Non-English speakers? I thought it was just that goofy Boston accent.

[Paine in the Neck]

This will involve hiring a bunch of “bilingual” instructors - union, of course - who are themselves barely literate in English. They will while away their time working on ACORN advocacy or some such while giving these kids grades commensurate with their self-esteem needs.