NationStates Jolt Archive


What was this woman thinking about?

Aplastaland
17-12-2005, 18:45
December 09, 2005

Jackass of the Week


Language Log's Jackass of the Week award goes to principal Jennifer Watts of Kansas City, Kansas' Endeavor Alternative School for suspending student Zach Rubio for two days for speaking Spanish in school. Fortunately, as soon as superintendent Bobby Allen learned of the suspension he reversed it. The school district has no policy forbidding the use of Spanish or other languages. This evidently is, however, Ms. Watts' policy. According to the Washington Post, in a written explanation for the suspension she stated that:

This is not the first time we have [asked] Zach and others to not speak Spanish at school.


According to Superintendent Allen's report, Watts said that it is important that the teachers be able to communicate and know what the students are saying. That teachers need to be able to communicate is true, but what has it got to do with whether students use Spanish in private conversations? (There is no issue here of encouraging Rubio to learn English - he is a fluent native speaker of both English and Spanish.) That teachers need to know what students are saying in private conversations is false. They don't need to know and they can't, even if the students always speak English. Both in school and out of school students have far too many opportunities to communicate out of range of their teachers for schools to know everything they say. By Watts' Orwellian reasoning, students should be required to wear microphones that transmit everything they say so that it can be monitored at the school office. Even the Soviet Union didn't go that far.

According to Zach's father Lorenzo, when he confronted Watts she said: "We are not in Mexico, we are not in Germany", and "I don't want to hear it [Spanish] in my building". This sounds more like plain old bigotry than educational policy.



http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002696.html
JuNii
17-12-2005, 19:04
In some way, I do see what Watts is against.

I remember going to renew my drivers licence... and in the testing area, I see some people taking the written test with a translator sitting next to them reading them the questions and answers.

now unless that tranlator will be sitting with them in the car reading the street signs...


but on the other hand, I am against this kind of censorship.
Aplastaland
17-12-2005, 19:12
IMO speaking a language can't be forbidden. :rolleyes:
Appledore
17-12-2005, 19:22
Well, it's Kansas. Not exactly a place of great diversity. The principal probably didn't deal with lots of different ethnic groups earlier in life, and consequently doesn't know how to handle the situation today.

I think that Rubio should have moved to the coast if he wanted to find less discrimination ...
JuNii
17-12-2005, 19:23
IMO speaking a language can't be forbidden. :rolleyes:
I Agree. remember, I said, I hated that kind of Censorship.

but you have to agree that learning the native language for the country you're living in is also important.
Can you imagine someone driving around who cannot read the roadsigns?
Unable to read the instructions for taking medicine?
Unable to understand verbal instructions?

and Language is a skill that if you don't use it, you will lose it.
The Soviet Americas
17-12-2005, 19:28
but you have to agree that learning the native language for the country you're living in is also important.
There is no issue here of encouraging Rubio to learn English - he is a fluent native speaker of both English and Spanish.
gg
Minoriteeburg
17-12-2005, 19:29
it's like those people who made those kids eat off the floor.
Aplastaland
17-12-2005, 19:30
I Agree. remember, I said, I hated that kind of Censorship.

but you have to agree that learning the native language for the country you're living in is also important.
Can you imagine someone driving around who cannot read the roadsigns?
Unable to read the instructions for taking medicine?
Unable to understand verbal instructions?

and Language is a skill that if you don't use it, you will lose it.

Yes, yes, he should. The article says is that the guy was speaking in Spanish in a private conversation!
The Elder Malaclypse
17-12-2005, 19:31
If I were her i'd stay away from fresh fruit!
Liverbreath
17-12-2005, 20:12
Well, it's Kansas. Not exactly a place of great diversity. The principal probably didn't deal with lots of different ethnic groups earlier in life, and consequently doesn't know how to handle the situation today.

I think that Rubio should have moved to the coast if he wanted to find less discrimination ...

What a completely uninformed person you are. To make a statement like that in light of the fact that this is where school segragation was stopped with Brown vs Board of Education simply illustrates the ignorance so prevelant in the sanctimonious minds of those walking the urine soaked streets of LA, SF and few points in between. Combine this with the fact that the city where this, "ALTERNATIVE" school is located just so happens to consist of primairly of black, hispanic, and numerous other ethenic neighborhoods and has since 1859. You can now stop wondering why people in the midwest have such contempt for people on the left coast. If you were really smarter, it would be one thing, but the truth is, they laugh at your ignorance.

Ever hear of the "Underground Railroad" Mr enlightened? Guess what city it ran right through the middle of?
The Lynx Alliance
17-12-2005, 23:54
to me, it depends on where the conversation took place. if it was in the school yard, during break, yes. if it was in the classroom, i am a bit hesitant. this could have implications, especially if someone is giving the answers to something to someone else, and the teacher cant understand what they are saying.
The Aryan Apostle
18-12-2005, 00:11
Well, it's Kansas. Not exactly a place of great diversity. The principal probably didn't deal with lots of different ethnic groups earlier in life, and consequently doesn't know how to handle the situation today.

I think that Rubio should have moved to the coast if he wanted to find less discrimination ...
You obviously don't live in Kansas. As a Kansas native, I'm pretty sure i can tell you that white people are not the minority only by a small margin. Hell, my high school has to be 30-40% hispanic, not to mention the native american and african american minorities. Kansas has a great diversity, this woman is just a jackass.
Ever hear of the "Underground Railroad" Mr enlightened? Guess what city it ran right through the middle of?
Terrorist Cakes
18-12-2005, 00:15
IMO speaking a language can't be forbidden. :rolleyes:

It was in Quebec, with the introduction of Bill 101.