Speaking The Language Of Ignorance
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Bad Decisions, EducationSpanish kids aren’t allowed to speak Spanish in school, and yet Latinos make up 20% of the school-age population in this country. What message does that send them?
Jeezus…the Kansas public school system continues to “impress.”
KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 8 — Most of the time, 16-year-old Zach Rubio converses in clear, unaccented American teen-speak, a form of English in which the three most common words are “like,” “whatever” and “totally.” But Zach is also fluent in his dad’s native language, Spanish — and that’s what got him suspended from school.“It was, like, totally not in the classroom,” the high school junior said, recalling the infraction. “We were in the, like, hall or whatever, on restroom break. This kid I know, he’s like, ‘Me prestas un dolar?’ ['Will you lend me a dollar?'] Well, he asked in Spanish; it just seemed natural to answer that way. So I’m like, ‘No problema.’ ”
But that conversation turned out to be a big problem for the staff at the Endeavor Alternative School, a small public high school in an ethnically mixed blue-collar neighborhood. A teacher who overheard the two boys sent Zach to the office, where Principal Jennifer Watts ordered him to call his father and leave the school.
The family looks like they’ll be seeking legal action. Good.
Since then, the suspension of Zach Rubio has become the talk of the town in both English and Spanish newspapers and radio shows. The school district has officially rescinded his punishment and said that speaking a foreign language is not grounds for suspension. Meanwhile, the Rubio family has retained a lawyer, who says a civil rights lawsuit may be in the offing.
Thankfully, it looks like the kid got an apology.
Regardless, American students are getting seriously shafted by rules that seek to the lessen the inclusion of other languages in our hallways and classrooms. Why? Well, because a majority of the citizens of most other first world countries speak two or three languages. Does anybody else think this is going to seriously limit our effectiveness as a global superpower in the future? Especially as we move into a world where the worldwide economy is beomcing more collective and less specialized. If you think outsourcing is bad now, just wait ten years and we’ll talk about the good ole days back in 05.
And yes, we’re the top dog now and those countries will bend to our particular whims, but with China’s global economic dominance looming in the not so distant future, one has to wonder if this type of language-phobia will cost us dearly.
Quick tip: learn Spanish AND Chinese.
Seriously.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 10th, 2005 and is filed under Bad Decisions, Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
December 10th, 2005 at 5:27 pm
Unbelievable. What’s up with Kansas? If speaking a foreign language is not grounds for suspension, then why is the principal not suspended? I know it’s dicey to comment on disciplinary matters, but the lack of comment gives the impression that the school board thinks it’s acceptable for principals to suspend students at random. The Rubios’ lawyer is going to have a field day with this one.
December 10th, 2005 at 8:39 pm
The school’s superintendent eventually did apologize, but I hope they take this to court. This needs to be put out into the public forum.
December 10th, 2005 at 9:13 pm
Zach’s dad is a naturalized citizen, and knew from his citizenship studies that “infractions of the rules” requires that the “rules” need to be *codified and in writing”
When he went to the principlal and demanded to see the written policy that Zach had “violated,” she could not come up with one — because it didn’t exist. As soon as Rubio heard that he contacted the district superintendent, who immediatly reversed Zach’s suspension.
Looks as if the *principal* need a refresher civics class.
December 10th, 2005 at 11:54 pm
I think it is the schools job to make sure every kid learns standard English – that is part of the American ideal of giving people equal opportunity. But the US is woefully low on foreign language skills, and these educators have it bass akwards. (That’s a Rural-Americanism)
Moi? Like I’m totally – why not have a Spanish club and get these bilingual dudes to teach the Gringos – you know – their lingo. And BTW how about that Vietnamese gal from up in Nebraska who just got a Rhodes scholarship. They sure doin’ sumpin’ right up dare in Nebraska. Oh Yeah!
December 12th, 2005 at 11:45 am
Many schools have an “English-only” policy in their ESL classes (my roommate teaches first grade kids who don’t speak much English in Los Angeles). Unfortunately that puts kids into classrooms where the teacher, who might understand their language, is forbidden to speak it to them. For a kid who might understand one or two words of English, this makes the learning curve MUCH worse to learn the new language.
I also think it would be valuable to have language classes much earlier than they are generally available now (7th or 8th grade usually) because the language absorption capacity of the brain is generally greatest in gradeschool kids.
December 12th, 2005 at 12:17 pm
This student was caught speaking spanish between classes in the Hallway.
November 7th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
i think that you should be able to speak the language you speak, and not the one others want you to! if you like to speak spanish, well do it!. if you like to speak other language, rather than english well its your choice to pick the language you want, in school, in stores, wherever you want to you can do it!!!! its your decition!!!! not other’s decition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 7th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
you guys dont know what’s good or bad for other people!!!!!!!