Students kicked off Bus for speaking English.

[omon]

Imagine sending your kids off to school, but when they get to the bus they are told they can't get on because they speak English.

That's right, English.

It happened to a few children in St. Paul and now the school district is apologizing.

Rachel Armstrong sent her kids to pick up the bus as usual Monday, but after the driver let the kids on, he told them he would not pick them up again. He even said he wouldn't take them home that afternoon.

Armstrong left work early Tuesday, forced to pick up her kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School.

Her twin girls, 10, and her son, 8, were kicked off their regular school bus. They were told by the bus driver the route is for non-English speaking students only.

"I was furious. I was at work and I was just mad." Armstrong said. "I felt like we were being discriminated because we speak English. Just because they speak English, they can't ride the school bus. I mean, this is America, right?"

Administrators at St. Paul Public Schools admit the district made a mistake when it stranded the kids at school Monday.

However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English.

The academies all have separate bus routes to keep its students together.

The district decided to enforce the separate routes beginning Monday, but it did not tell the Armstrong family.

"It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake. The kids should have gotten home that day," Dayna Kennedy, a public relations representative said.

The district also discovered the Armstrongs no longer live in the Phalen Lake School boundary because they moved last year.

So even though the district apologized, if they want to still go to Phalen, they are going to have to get their own ride.

http://kstptv5.com/article/stories/S21143.html?cat=1

[Asim Aquil]

maybe thats the way arrangements were made. But its weird if it was their regular bus...

[MarquezRazor]

WTF?

1.Do they have separate bus for students of different languages?

2.What language speaking pstudents are supposed to get on the "regular" bus?



Yea Asim that was weird!

[Asim Aquil]

WTF?

1.Do they have separate bus for students of different languages?

2.What language speaking pstudents are supposed to get on the "regular" bus?



Yea Asim that was weird!

There are many latinos in America who can't speak English at all or very broken English. So they might have provided them a special bus with a latino driver to take them wherever they wanted.

The rest who can communicate with the drive might be going on the regular bus.

[MarquezRazor]

There are many latinos in America who can't speak English at all or very broken English. So they might have provided them a special bus with a latino driver to take them wherever they wanted.

I thought school buses run on pre-determined routes and not where the 8 yr old wants to go!

[leib10]

Not surprised at this.

[SnowLeopard]

We-ll.......................

it sort of reminds me of my French class in high school. One lost points if they spoke Anglais, err, English in the class. I didn't speak up much in that class. (3yrs of French/1 yr of Arabic in grade school)

But it sounds reasonable, yes? I mean, one is there to learn French, to not just translate it but think in French, so there is a reason.

When it comes to language training, one needs to be ready to make exceptions to how things are usually. It sounds like this was one of those situations though the school should have informed everyone.
----------------------------------
("Nina, you're late, why?"
"Well, I got into the wrong limo and ended up at the Peruvian embassy. Through the miscommunication and language barrier, there was a lot of anger but I finally convinced them to get me ride here. By the way, if we are at war with Peru in morning, I'm the reason."--Nina Van Horn, (w,stte), Just Shoot Me! "The Auction")

[Ray]

We-ll.......................

it sort of reminds me of my French class in high school. One lost points if they spoke Anglais, err, English in the class. I didn't speak up much in that class. (3yrs of French/1 yr of Arabic in grade school)

But it sounds reasonable, yes? I mean, one is there to learn French, to not just translate it but think in French, so there is a reason.

When it comes to language training, one needs to be ready to make exceptions to how things are usually. It sounds like this was one of those situations though the school should have informed everyone.
----------------------------------
("Nina, you're late, why?"
"Well, I got into the wrong limo and ended up at the Peruvian embassy. Through the miscommunication and language barrier, there was a lot of anger but I finally convinced them to get me ride here. By the way, if we are at war with Peru in morning, I'm the reason."--Nina Van Horn, (w,stte), Just Shoot Me! "The Auction")

Why, is the school (that is mentioned) for imparting foreign languages?

[SnowLeopard]

Foreign languages, no, but the article does say

"However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English"

What affect native English speakers would have on such students, I don't know. It has often been pointed out, such as in litature (ie, "My Fair Lady") however, that those who learn English as a foreign language speak it better than native speakers. As noted by another in this post, there may have been a safety reason between the passengers and the driver.

What I think it comes down to, though, is an outrageous headline, especially in these immigration times, taken somewhat out of context. Which, when you think about it, is rather outrageous. I mean, isn't that what most people say that if you go to live in a country, you should learn the language? Isn't that what the school district is trying to achieve here?
----------------------------------------------------
("Ohhhh, the menu is in French. Wait, there is a word I know. Poisson. That's fish, right? Deux Poissons, c'est vous plaiz." Kelly to Brenda and the waiter. The plates arrive in a few minutes with a cream on them.
"Never seen fish like that before. Odd consistency, funny taste."--Kelly
"Give me the dictionary, please,"--Brenda, thumbs through, finds the word, spits out the food. "It's brains!" and Kelly spits it out as well., (w,stte), "Beverly Hills, 90210")

[Brian Douglas]

Foreign languages, no, but the article does say

"However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English"

What affect native English speakers would have on such students, I don't know. It has often been pointed out, such as in litature (ie, "My Fair Lady") however, that those who learn English as a foreign language speak it better than native speakers. As noted by another in this post, there may have been a safety reason between the passengers and the driver.

What I think it comes down to, though, is an outrageous headline, especially in these immigration times, taken somewhat out of context. Which, when you think about it, is rather outrageous. I mean, isn't that what most people say that if you go to live in a country, you should learn the language? Isn't that what the school district is trying to achieve here?
----------------------------------------------------
("Ohhhh, the menu is in French. Wait, there is a word I know. Poisson. That's fish, right? Deux Poissons, c'est vous plaiz." Kelly to Brenda and the waiter. The plates arrive in a few minutes with a cream on them.
"Never seen fish like that before. Odd consistency, funny taste."--Kelly
"Give me the dictionary, please,"--Brenda, thumbs through, finds the word, spits out the food. "It's brains!" and Kelly spits it out as well., (w,stte), "Beverly Hills, 90210")

Brenda, thumbs through, finds the word, spits out the food. "It's brains!" and Kelly spits it out as well. Were I live brains are good food, we eat "Crier de proc" which in English is Pigs brains regular and a good meal too!!
Cheers,
Brian..

[tankie]

It wouldn not have surprised me to find it was a bus in the UK

Hey B/D pigs brains and the rest of the head make luvverly brawn .

[Southie]

My daughter found a shirt on the internet that I want to wear at school. Although I would probably get in trouble for it!

[urmomma158]

^^ Ur pic doesnt work but I think I have an idea of what you're talking about.

Sorry if this is offensive to anyone simply giving an example.
http://hangrightpolitics.com/wp-cont...04/english.jpg


Black T-Shirt > T-Shirts > Clever Idea | CafePress

[Southie]

^^ Ur pic doesnt work but I think I have an idea of what you're talking about.

Sorry if this is offensive to anyone simply giving an example.
http://hangrightpolitics.com/wp-cont...04/english.jpg


Black T-Shirt > T-Shirts > Clever Idea | CafePress

That's it! Although the shirt doesn't have the part about "Or Get Out". I wasn't sure if it would work or not. Computers at school aren't the best!

I am also sorry if anyone finds it offensive, but I constantly deal with parents that refuse to speak english and always need a translator. And they wonder why their kids fail the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test), and can't graduate. Thanks!!! )

[gunnut]

Aha you copied the image and saved it on a word document rather than as a jpg file.