When is it none of your business?

**amykhar** · #1 08-04-2001, 12:42 PM

Ron Unz is a millionaire who isn't crazy about bilingual education programs. He spent a lot of money and pushed through legislation in California, now he has targetted Massachusetts.

http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers....ap/index.html

My question is, why is Massachussetts's education system any of his business? (Voters there are wondering the same thing)

Amy

afropuff · #2 08-04-2001, 06:02 PM

It's NOT any of his business. He's just hoping to push through an agenda that is, at best, short-sighted and, at worst, racist.

What I don't understand is why most American schools do not require knowledge of another language anyway. Most schools throughout the world require at least 1 foreign language (English), sometimes more. Why do we expect so little from so many children here?

**drmomentum**[$] · #3 08-04-2001, 09:34 PM

Can't imagine that is gonna fly here.

CeeJay62 · #4 08-04-2001, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by amykhar

My question is, why is Massachussetts's education system any of his business? (Voters there are wondering the same thing)

Amy

It isn't any of his business, just as what happens in Alaska isn't the business of environmental groups based in the lower 48.

Sorry, just had to rile things up a bit.

**pluckyduck** · #5 08-04-2001, 11:49 PM

Ooooooh, Ceejay, good one.

You shut me right up from what I was about to post. Didn't change my mind about Alaska oil drilling, but you shut me up from what I was about to post.

Andrea

realtraveller · #6 08-05-2001, 12:49 AM

FYI, bilingual education in California really meant that Spanish speakers continued to be taught in Spanish and never learned English properly. Their test scores showed it.

Since bilingual teaching has been reduced, the test scores of Hispanic students have improved.

While I believe that everyone benefits from learning two or more languages, in the United States, at least for the forseeable future, all children must learn English first. It is almost impossible to get a high paying job without it.

afropuff · #7 08-05-2001, 03:57 AM

I agree that English is obviously important to know. However, given the burgeoning population, English speakers had best learn Spanish as well as Spanish speakers learning English. We will never know the true number of Spanish-speakers here, but I know it's enough to overwhelm many teachers that are unprepared for the growing population, as well as many emergency personnel trying to attend to their needs. There's no way around learning either language.

To really learn to *speak* (and not just comprehend) any language, total immersion is probably best. The concept of bilingual education as trying to teach English through speaking Spanish does not work, because it does not allow the student to leave his/her comfort zone. Learning a language is messy work, and there will be mistakes. It is important to immerse students completely in any language and make them feel comfortable enough to make mistakes in order to learn a language effectively. So, their particular theory of "bilingual education" was wrong.

With that having been said, I should also say that those who do know Spanish and English are at a decided advantage to those who are just English speakers, and it should be *strongly* encouraged for young people to learn Spanish, English, and perhaps another language. Many jobs now require one to be able to communicate in Spanish *and* English. It is in one's best interest to learn Spanish nowadays.

wivabef · #8 08-05-2001, 11:35 AM

What difference is Ron Unz from the NEA or NRA or NARAL?

What difference is Ron Unz from Barbra Streisand or Charleton Heston?

Don't get me wrong -- I think all of these entities have far too much power. But why do lobbyists get to spend outside of the state money to influence state and local legislation but it's wrong for Ron Unz to do it?

erik_kosberg · #9 08-06-2001, 10:48 AM

If he wants to throw his money away, who am I to stop him?

KateTPZ · #10 08-06-2001, 01:24 PM

It's none of his business, but it's a free country. As a North Carolinian I'm fairly certain that money from outside the state is what has kept Jesse Helms in the Senate for so long. I don't like it, but that's life.

CeeJay62 · #11 08-06-2001, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KateTPZ
It's none of his business, but it's a free country. As a North Carolinian I'm fairly certain that money from outside the state is what has kept Jesse Helms in the Senate for so long. I don't like it, but that's life.

Senators do get a lot of money from out of state. That is one thing I learned from the Jim Jeffords deal. When he made the announcement he would refund money to Vermont voters who donated to his campaign there were several follow up stories about how that wasn't a big deal, since most of the money he raised came from outside the state. One of the donors that stuck with me was Trent Lott. Oh well, I suppose Trent was out of luck on that one