School gives out form in English? LAWYER UP!!!

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

Learning the language is an essential part of respecting the culture.

Why should they have to do either? It's their lives; it's their business what they do with them.

[The Ancient and Orthodox Potato Church]

Then perhaps you need to be educated that ENGLISH is NOT THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES.
There IS no official language of the United States.

And interestingly enough the language that did come closest to becoming the official US language was French. IIRC from an old newspaper article it was mentioned that a motion put to the Continental Congress to adopt French officially was defeated by one vote.

[Vitaphone Racing]

There has to be some compromise where people are able to have translations made for them while still encouraging them to learn the language of the nation they are now living in. Learning the language is an essential part of respecting the culture.

The issue here is not whether there were forms in Spanish. There were. The issue is, the school didn't send any information dealing specifically with the students being suspended home in Spanish.

I'm looking much bigger picture than just the topic at hand but I'll bite anyway.

This isn't as big of a deal as what people are making it out to be: the school should have had records of whether or not English was spoken at home, they didn't check them. The people who received the forms should have indicated they couldn't understand them in one way or another, they didn't contact anyone about it. The school should have realised their mistake; they did. I don't understand the uproar over this. It's not racist or discriminatory to make a screw up.

[Ifreann]

There has to be some compromise where people are able to have translations made for them while still encouraging them to learn the language of the nation they are now living in. Learning the language is an essential part of respecting the culture.

Simple. Make translators and translations available when people can't speak English and....nothing else. The US being a mostly English speaking country is encouragement enough for people to learn English. There's no need for anything more.

---

Then perhaps you need to be educated that ENGLISH is NOT THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES.
There IS no official language of the United States.

And interestingly enough the language that did come closest to becoming the official US language was French. IIRC from an old newspaper article it was mentioned that a motion put to the Continental Congress to adopt French officially was defeated by one vote.

I thought that was German.

[Vitaphone Racing]

Learning the language is an essential part of respecting the culture.

Why should they have to do either? It's their lives; it's their business what they do with them.

Because a common culture of any description is important in life, people shouldn't be forcibly assimilated but they should want to assimilate.

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

Why should they have to do either? It's their lives; it's their business what they do with them.

Because a common culture of any description is important in life,

I don't see why.

they should want to assimilate.

I don't see why.

[AiliailiA]

The issue here is not whether there were forms in Spanish. There were. The issue is, the school didn't send any information dealing specifically with the students being suspended home in Spanish.

I'm looking much bigger picture than just the topic at hand but I'll bite anyway.

This isn't as big of a deal as what people are making it out to be: the school should have had records of whether or not English was spoken at home, they didn't check them. The people who received the forms should have indicated they couldn't understand them in one way or another, they didn't contact anyone about it. The school should have realised their mistake; they did. I don't understand the uproar over this. It's not racist or discriminatory to make a screw up.

Failure of communication on both sides. Should have been handled better, by both sides.

Problems like this should be solved without having to pay out lawyers or court costs.

[Ceannairceach]

And interestingly enough the language that did come closest to becoming the official US language was French. IIRC from an old newspaper article it was mentioned that a motion put to the Continental Congress to adopt French officially was defeated by one vote.

I thought that was German.

Indeed, I believe.

[AiliailiA]

Not much sympathy here for "learn the language" though.

"Learn our language" is typical of people who only speak one language. I only speak one language (it's obvious which language) but I admit that it's a weakness of mine, a social disability if you will. I'd feel like a cad to insist that someone else, who already speaks a first language, must learn mine in order to deal with me. I'd feel like a hypocrite.

[Vitaphone Racing]

Because a common culture of any description is important in life,

I don't see why.

they should want to assimilate.

I don't see why.

If you can't already see why having commonalities with other people and a sense of belonging isn't important, then no amount of my explaining will convince you otherwise.

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

I don't see why.


I don't see why.

If you can't already see why having commonalities with other people and a sense of belonging isn't important, then no amount of my explaining will convince you otherwise.

I do, but that's not what you said the first time.

[Vitaphone Racing]

Not much sympathy here for "learn the language" though.

"Learn our language" is typical of people who only speak one language. I only speak one language (it's obvious which language) but I admit that it's a weakness of mine, a social disability if you will. I'd feel like a cad to insist that someone else, who already speaks a first language, must learn mine in order to deal with me. I'd feel like a hypocrite.

If everybody speaks the one language in one country (not to say they can't speak more than one) then everybody can communicate with everybody. If some people can't speak the one language, they can't communicate with others, which is bad. If half the people speak this language and half the people speak this other language, the country segregates itself through a lack of communication.

IMO "learn the language" is not too much to expect of anybody who comes to another country. If you have a problem communicating with others then YOU have the problem and YOU need to solve it. I was lucky when I went to Germany because a large amount of people are fluent in English, but I still felt that I should speak German at first until somebody else indicated that I should speak my own language instead.

[Vitaphone Racing]

If you can't already see why having commonalities with other people and a sense of belonging isn't important, then no amount of my explaining will convince you otherwise.

I do, but that's not what you said the first time.

culture = commonality. Commonality = relating. relating = belonging.

I don't think you understand at all.

[Franklin Delano Bluth]

I understand much better than you do, obviously, since I recognize that things that aren't the same, aren't the same.

Dudes in Mongolia don't speak the same language I do, probably don't eat the same food I do, likely don't listen to the same music I do, quite possibly don't interpret the world around them the same as I do. Yet I feel a sense of belonging and unity with them, because we are on the same world and affected by the same forces.

[AiliailiA]

Not much sympathy here for "learn the language" though.

"Learn our language" is typical of people who only speak one language. I only speak one language (it's obvious which language) but I admit that it's a weakness of mine, a social disability if you will. I'd feel like a cad to insist that someone else, who already speaks a first language, must learn mine in order to deal with me. I'd feel like a hypocrite.

If everybody speaks the one language in one country (not to say they can't speak more than one) then everybody can communicate with everybody. If some people can't speak the one language, they can't communicate with others, which is bad. If half the people speak this language and half the people speak this other language, the country segregates itself through a lack of communication.

Socially bad, yes. As a social problem, it's obviously something that government should address ... free language lessons in the majority language, but also why not free language lessons in a major minority language like Spanish is in the US.

IMO "learn the language" is not too much to expect of anybody who comes to another country. If you have a problem communicating with others then YOU have the problem and YOU need to solve it. I was lucky when I went to Germany because a large amount of people are fluent in English, but I still felt that I should speak German at first until somebody else indicated that I should speak my own language instead.

Well, exactly. You could get by with English in Germany, because plenty of Germans speak better English as a second language, than you speak German.

Didn't learn much German did you?

[Laerod]

"Your argument is legit invalid."

Maybe it was meant to say "legitimately invalid"?

Maybe it's the best bit of academic street slang ever and should be honored as such.

[Samozaryadnyastan]

"Your argument is legit invalid."

Maybe it was meant to say "legitimately invalid"?

Has no one on this forum ever heard of the contraction 'legit'?

[United Dependencies]

The school system said that it had the forms in Spanish. It seems like all the parents needed to do was request spanish forms.

[Laerod]

The school system said that it had the forms in Spanish. It seems like all the parents needed to do was request spanish forms.

There is an article in the OP. It seems like all anyone here needs to do is read it, but nobody does.

[United Dependencies]

The school system said that it had the forms in Spanish. It seems like all the parents needed to do was request spanish forms.

There is an article in the OP. It seems like all anyone here needs to do is read it, but nobody does.

The wider debate of whether or not English is (or should be) the official language of this country took hold I'm afraid.

[Laerod]

There is an article in the OP. It seems like all anyone here needs to do is read it, but nobody does.

The wider debate of whether or not English is (or should be) the official language of this country took hold I'm afraid.

Well, thing is, the parents did get the Spanish forms, they weren't adequate though. That's what the complaint is.

[United Dependencies]

The wider debate of whether or not English is (or should be) the official language of this country took hold I'm afraid.

Well, thing is, the parents did get the Spanish forms, they weren't adequate though. That's what the complaint is.

That's what I'm trying to read up on at some of my local news websites.

What exactly is inadequate about them? I thought supsension forms were fairly simple documents.

[Laerod]

Well, thing is, the parents did get the Spanish forms, they weren't adequate though. That's what the complaint is.

That's what I'm trying to read up on at some of my local news websites.

What exactly is inadequate about them? I thought supsension forms were fairly simple documents.

Sounds like the documents said "You're kid is suspended" but neglected to mention why:

The advocacy groups said the Spanish-language forms did not help the three families in these cases.

"Whether they gave these parents the blank forms themselves in Spanish, in no instances in these cases did they provide the form in writing with individualized information about their students in Spanish," said Sean Driscoll, spokesman for Legal Aid of North Carolina. "They may have given them the form, but the form didn't include the individualized information about their students in Spanish."

Jerri Katzerman, the deputy legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, also said the Spanish-language forms are often filled in using English, with descriptive information about students left out.

"It's inadequate, and it certainly doesn't benefit the family who's trying to participate in the child's education," she said.

"These are the absolute core and key responsibilities of a school system," she added, especially because of the number of Latino and Spanish-speaking families in the Wake County district.

[United Dependencies]

For all you people saying the school system should be able to print english only documents

"WCPSS staff, from the central office to the school level, are actively reviewing our practices to ensure we are meeting families' needs at every opportunity," spokeswoman Samiha Khanna said in a statement.

She added that the district was disappointed by the complaint, but eager to work with the Office of Civil Rights to resolve it.

http://www.wral.com/news/education/wake ... /11197415/

Doesn't sound like the school system is eager to take on that fight.

[United Dependencies]

That's what I'm trying to read up on at some of my local news websites.

What exactly is inadequate about them? I thought supsension forms were fairly simple documents.

Sounds like the documents said "You're kid is suspended" but neglected to mention why:

snip

I wouldn't be surprised if the guy who did that lost his(or her) job in one of our "fiscally responsible" budget cuts.