Spanish-language diploma in limbo
Questions raised
By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
School board members at a Wednesday evening meeting asked for more information about a proposed Spanish language GED Plus diploma program, and tabled the matter until questions could be answered.
George Abel, superintendent of teaching and curriculum, presented information about two proposed changes for GED classes. GED Plus diplomas, with classes in both English and Spanish, had been recommended. The "Plus" portion of the course would include a high school diploma for completing additional requirements beyond the 21-hour equivalent of the traditional GED course. English speakers would have to complete the GED course, plus American government and history, as well as one consumer education and one English class. Spanish speakers would need to have additional English classes to qualify for the diploma in Spanish.
Each diploma would reflect that it was done through a GED program.
Abel said that the district would need to contract with an outside entity to provide the Spanish GED Plus.
Board member Mike Helbert raised the first question.
"Are we doing any of our students a favor by telling them that it's okay to get a GED in Spanish when they hve to compete in an English-speaking world?" Helbert asked.
"Quite frankly, to me, we're dumbing down our education standards for people who don't speak English, which is an absolute skill for people to succeed in the U.S. I've got a real problem with that. ... I don't see how we're doing anybody a favor by saying, 'Look, if you can't pass it in English, we'll let you take it in Spanish. I don't think that's doing anything for the students or for the population or for the public."
Homer Garza, another board member, said he thought a Spanish GED Plus would be a good idea.
"Just because they do it in Spanish doesn't mean they're not ready for the work world," Garza said, adding that his parents read, write and speak English very well, but would be more comfortable taking the test in Spanish.
"I don't think we're lowering our educational standards," Garza said.
Patricia Smiley, director of integrated services for the school district, said that the Spanish GED Plus would enable bilingual Hispanics to take jobs with, for example, the school district, which requires that each employee have at least a high school diploma.
"A lot of our Spanish-speaking students aren't able to get jobs because of that Spanish-speaking diploma," Smiley said.
Helbert said that it appeared there were two different standards.
"We have an English speaking standard and a Spanish-speaking standard for our students," he said. "Is that right? I mean, is it morally right? ... I think we're short-selling these kids because we're saying you can take less of a test and get through it."
"How is it less of a test?" Garza asked.
"If I went to Mexico, I don't think I could take the GED in English," Helbert said. "If you went to any country in the world, you have to use the dominating language in that country in order to be successful."
Helbert asked if there had been requests for a GED Plus in Spanish; Abel said he could not answer that question.
Board member Angie Schreiber asked how the program would be financed.
"If we're already on a tight budget, where's the money coming from?" Schreiber asked.
"I suppose it's going to be one of those costs that are shared with us and ESSDACK," Abel responded.
Mary Helmer said that she agreed with Schreiger.
"I think we need to know these costs," Helmer said. "Can we have a comparison of what we do now and what this is going to be? I'm not comfortable with any of it until we really know."
The board voted 6-0 to table the issue until more information is provided by district staff. The seventh board member, Mike Crouch, was out of town and could not attend the meeting.
In other action, the board
-- approved a contract with the Cottonwood Group of Overland Park to advise the district on its 403(b) investment plan. CWA will be paid $10,000 annually; travel expenses will be billed separately to the district and the costs of special project work will be filled on a time and materials basis, according to the contract. The hourly rate for the work ranges from $185 to $270, depending upon which employee is doing the work.
-- approved the summer school program for Emporia Middle School. Principal Steve Ternes said letters recommending summer school for some students had gone out last week. He has received telephone calls from a number of parents who said they planned to move from the district and asked how they should handle summer school needs for their youngsters going into other districts.
-- approved the first of three phases to replace network equipment that is approximately 8 years old. The manufacturer soon will no longer support the equipment. The cost for this phase will be $75,512.88 in networking equipment and approximately $9,000 for installation. Money will come from the Supplemental General Fund. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Susan Hernandez said that the replacements were part of the 5-year plan and are not part of the costs of moving the central office to the Mary Herbert Education Center.
-- accepted a donation of $1,500 from the Timmerman PTO, to be used for the school's needs.
Comments
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Posted by JohnDoe (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 12:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Right on, Mr. Helbert. There should only be one standard. Offering a spanish alternative would only prolong the issue of a language gap. I know there were a small number of exceptional stories offered up for discussion but that's not the norm. Providing an opportunity to complete a spanish version only makes those taking it less competitive. No one ever said being competitive was easy. Also, if you're going to live in America you need to know the history. Not being able to speak english shouldn't be an excuse to bypass our country's history on the GED either. Too much to ask? ...well then I hope you enjoyed your visit.
Posted by create (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 7:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Once a Spanish alternative is offered, will there be a Chinese one? Hebrew? Farsi? Japanese? Russian? French? Get my drift?
Posted by emporialifer (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It sounds like Mr. Helbert is the only one that understands the real implications of this. He made a great point about a Spanish Plus GED not helping students who will need to compete in an English speaking country. Sorry, Mrs. Smiley, but do you expect all Spanish Plus GED holders to get a job with the school district because that might be one of their only options since most places require an applicant to fill out an Employment Application in English without outside help. This would not help these students.
Posted by vh1983 (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I also agree with Mr. Helbert.
You've got to be kidding me! Sure, let's spend even more of the taxpayers' money to enable (often illegal) immigrants who refuse to learn the common language. My ancestors who emigrated here from other countries had to learn English, why are these new immigrants an exception? This is getting absolutely ridiculous. I would never move to a non-English speaking country and them demand that I be offered everything in English instead of making an effort to learn the language.
If someone doesn't speak English well enough to pass the GED test, they aren't going to be able to get a job working in a bilingual environment. Allowing them to slide by without learning the language isn't going to help anybody and it would be wasting the taxpayers' dollars.
Posted by tosie (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way to go Mr. Helbert....I agree completely that if an American went to another country to attend school or work it would be expected for that person to learn their language. It is not benficial for immigrants to come to America and not learn English. They can still keep their heritage and traditions, everyone should have that, but when one goes to live and learn in another country, one should learn and accept the language that is spoken.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
PUH-LEEZ! When is this madness going to end? This is America. We speak English. If you are here legally, welcome; but learn our language ASAP. If you are here illegally, keep speaking Spanish and go home ASAP. As for allowing persons to earn a GED in Spanish instead of English? I would hope not in my lifetime.
Posted by USNretired (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Homer! DUH!
Posted by blulitespecial (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Any board member that pushes this again- I have a friendly suggestion for you. Resign. Now. Move away from here.
Posted by vankamp (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I would like to see this as the next Readers Poll and then have the board go with the majority vote. How do we go about making our feelings known to the board?
Posted by Deepthoughts (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Are you kidding me with this? This is asinine! I don't care how they plan to flipping fund this idea - it's idiotic. I agree with van - Gazette - make this the poll question and I would also like to know other than writing a letter to each school board member - how we let them know our thoughts on this.
Posted by mythoughts (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We would not be helping these people one bit by offering the test in Spanish. It may be hard, especially for adults, but people have got to become functional in the language of the land. There are ESL classes, usually free, all over the place.
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What Homer was saying if a person who speaks and write English , but is more comfortable taking the test in Spanish, they should be allowed to. Spanish , Japanese , Chinese , etc it does not matter. If it will allow a person to make a better living for their family , go ahead and give it to them in their native language
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We cry about that but we spend money or trivial items , like a clock tower that does not even work , or 26-7 Million on a court house that we don't need or on a Pool that no one attends
Posted by Iloveemporia (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 2:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
IT SHOULD BE KEPT IN ENGLISH for no other reason then it must be english. not because "If you are here illegally, keep speaking Spanish and go home ASAP" that has to be the dumbest thing a person can say and this person said this"Also, if you're going to live in America you need to know the history" I bet they don't know the history, this whole country has been built by immigrants since the native americans owned it.ever one not native american is a immigrant that means everyone in emporia
Posted by tosie (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 4:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hey USAY.... They didn't have any trouble getting "comfortable" in this country so they can get "comfortable" with the test in ENGLISH...America's NATIVE language.
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 5:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
America's Native language was not English my friend !.
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LONG BEFORE the white man set foot on American soil, the American Indians, or rather the Native Americans, had been living on this land. When the Europeans came here, there were probably 10 million Indians north of present-day Mexico and they had been living here for quite some time. It is believed by many anthropologists and archaeologists that the first people arrived during the last ice-age, approximately 20,000 - 30,000 years ago, crossing the land-bridge at the Bering Sound, from northeastern Siberia into Alaska. (There are other theories being studied, such as travel by boat - similar to Australian settlement. Here is a letter from a Native American visitor to this site about this. More information to come!) The oldest documented Indian cultures in North America are Sandia (15000 BC), Clovis (12000 BC) and Folsom (8000 BC). (Please see an update on 2/11/97 under the NEWSPAGE near the bottom of this page).
Although it is believed that the Indians originated in Asia, few if any of them came from India. The name "Indian" was first applied to them by Christopher Columbus, who believed, mistakenly, that the mainland and islands of America were part of the Indies, in Asia.
So, when the Europeans started to arrive in the 16th- and 17th-century they were met by Native mericans, and enthusiastically so. The Natives regarded their white-complexioned visitors as something of a marvel, not only for their outlandish dress and beards and winged ships but even more for their wonderful technology - steel knives and swords, the fire-belching arquebus and cannon, mirrors, hawkbells, earrings, copper and brass kettles, and so on.
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 5:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Europeans brought with them not only a desire and will to conquer the new continent for all its material richness, but they also brought with them diseases that hit the Indians hard. Conflicts developed between the Native Americans and the Invaders, the latter arriving in overwhelming numbers, as many "as the stars in heaven". The Europeans were accustomed to owning land and laid claim to it while they considered the Indians to be nomads with no interest in claiming land ownership. The conflicts led to the Indian Wars, the Indian Removal Act empowered by president Andrew Jackson in 1830 and other acts instituted by the Europeans in order to accomplish their objectives, as they viewed them at the time. In these wars the Indian tribes were at a great disadvantage because of their modest numbers, nomadic life, lack of advanced weapons, and unwillingness to cooperate, even in their own defense. (One of the few instances in opposition to this view may been seen in the Battle of the Greasy Grass, better known as Custer's Last Stand.)
The end of the wars more or less coincided with the end of the 19th century. The last major war was not really a war, it was a massacre in 1890 where Indian warriors, women, and children were slaughtered by U.S. cavalrymen at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in a final spasm of ferocity.
A stupefying record of greed and trechery, of heroism and pain, had come to an end, a record forever staining the immense history of the westward movement, which in its drama and tragedy is also distinctively and unforgettably American.
[The late Mr. Lindeblad, creator of AW writes:] Undersigned being an European emigrating to the U.S. during the latter part of the 20th century, cannot fully comprehend what happened during the past few centuries. I am sure many descendants of emigrants as well as many Native Americans feel the same way. We are all a product of our time and the circumstances prevalent at the time. If I had lived with the Europeans in America during the 19th century, would I have embraced what was going on then? If I had lived with the Germans in the 1930s and 40s, would I have embraced what was going on in Germany then? If I had lived in Scandinavia during medieval time witnessing the horrors of slavery and killings, would I have embraced what was going on then? (The Nordic countries practiced slavery - träldom - during the middle ages, a master could for any reason kill his slave. Abolished in 1335.)
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 5:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
These are hard questions for anyone to honestly answer. It is easy to toss around opinions now, at the end of the 20th century being conveniently removed from circumstances and conditions in a distant and foreign time.
This web-site will try to present as true and accurate a picture as possible of the past, but not dwell on it. However, it is important for one sole reason and that is to learn from the past and move into the 21st century as better human beings. After all, we are ONE people under God and we can only look back to the past as what it is - history. Now we attempt to cooperate to the best of our ability in the present and we are looking forward to the future for a better world. Let us once again cross the Bering land-bridge and sail the Mayflower, but this time together for the common goal of building up mutual respect and trust.
The best way to accomplish this goal, we believe, is for this web-site to contribute by presenting links to the most sincere, factual, reliable and honest web-sites around on this subject and let interested parties actively participate. We will try to cover all aspects of our common history in regards to the history and development of the west. You will find many Native American web-sites with an abundance of facts and sources of information here. Please join in if you think you have something to contribute!
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
WARS - Mexican American War
1846-1848
With the annexation of Texas in early 1845, war with Mexico became all but inevitable. President James K. Polk hoped to settle matters peacefully but was determined to have his way by war if necessary. In November 1845 he sent John Slidell to Mexico with an offer of $5,000,000 for the purchase of New Mexico and $25,000,000 for California. The offer was refused. On May 9, 1846, word reached Washington, D.C. that American troops had been attacked by Mexican forces on April 4. Polk asked Congress, and was granted, a declaration of war. Congress authorized the president to call for 50,000 volunteers and appropriated $10,000,000. Congress and the nation, however, were far from united on the idea of waging war. Southerners favored war as likely to extend slave territory, while notherners opposed the war for the same reason.
President James K. Polk ordered U.S. troops into the region in southern Texas disputed with Mexico, between roughly parallel Nueces and Rio Grande rivers. The commanding general was Zachary Taylor.
1846- Battle of Palo Alto, the first important engagement of the Mexican War, was faught, with the Mexicans on the losing side.
1846- Battle of Resaca de la Palma, U.S. forces under General Taylor forced the Mexican army back across the Rio Grande.
1846- U.S. forces crossed the Rio Grande, led by General Zachary Taylor. The Americans occupied Matamoros.
1846- Monterrey, Mexico, was captured by U.S. forces under General Zachary Taylor after a four day engagement that made "Old Rough and Ready" Taylor, a Whig, into a national hero. His relations with President Polk, a Democrat, cooled subsequently.
1847- Battle of Buena Vista, U.S. forces under General Zachary Taylor defeated the Mexicans under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.
1847- U.S. forces under General Winfield Scott landed near Vera Cruz, Mexico. Some 10,000 troops landed in the Western Hemisphere, in what was the first large=scale amphibious operation in U.S. history. Scott began a siege of Vera Cruz on March 22. The fortress fell on March 27 and was occupied two days later. On April 8 Scott moved toward Mexico City.
1847- To negotiate peace with Mexico, President James K. Polk appointed as his special agent Nicholas P. Trist, a State Department veteran.
1847- At Cerro Gordo General Winfield Scott, marching on Mexico City, met and defeated a Mexican force of about 13,000.
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 5:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
1847- Peace negotiations with Mexico were initiated through the British minister, Charles Bankhead.
1847- At Churubusco General Winfield Scott defeated a Mexican army of 20,000.
1847- At the Battle of Molino del Rey U.S. forces under General Winfield Scott defeated an estimated 12,000 Mexicans.
1848- The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed by the U.S. and Mexico on February 2, 1848, formally ended the Mexican War (1846-1848). By the terms Mexico recobnized Texas as part of the U.S. and ceded to the U.S. over 500,000 square miles of territory, including all of the future states of California, Nevada, and Utah, almost all of New Mexico and Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. In return the U.S. agreed to pay Mexico $15,000,000 and to assume the claims of U.S. citizens against Mexico, amounting to $3,250,000. The U.S. became an enormous continental republic, but the acquisition of the new territory aggravated the dispute between slavery and antislavery forces. The war resulted in 1721 dead and 4102 wounded. In addition, some 11,155 Americans died of disease as a result of the war. The total cost of the war was estimated at $97,500,000.
Carruth, Gorton. "The Encyclopedia of American Facts and Dates". 10th Ed. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 6:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good grief, UsayUloveGod! Get a life! You ramble on like the Energizer Bunny with a shorted out circuit! If you don't love America enough to defend it's heritage and culture, move to Mexico and work for a dollar a day and sleep on a dirt floor. You better learn Spanish, though. Down there, they respect their nation enough to expect citizens to speak the native tongue.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 6:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh! USayULoveGod: Above you said "America's native language was not English, my friend!"
Guess what: IT IS NOW! And has been for over 200 years!
Your comment insinuates you would condone replacing English with Spanish!
U Say U Love God, but you don't seem to love your country much.
Posted by Doug (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 7:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey usay. Long before the American Indians the language was wooly mamnoth. Shall we start teaching that next? DUH!!!
Posted by blulitespecial (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 8:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Doug- wooly mammoth,or maybe Siberian would be closer to a "native " language if they wanna debate how far back who's native and who's not.
Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 10:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, USay, following your logic, what was the language spoken by the earliest native Mexicans? Aztec? Mayan? So, since Spanish is not the native language of Mexico, then apparently we should offer the GED in Mayan or Aztecian or whatever the original language was, but not Spanish..... LOL
Posted by JohnDoe (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 11:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Probably not the native language... but it is the Dominant Language. Is that better, Usay? That's the main point but I think you already knew that. I wonder if I could get an English GED test in Iran? North Korea? Maybe we're being to tough on non-native speakers. Not likely. If that's too harsh move to where it's easier.
Posted by Deepthoughts (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Great points on the original language (wolly mammoth made me laugh) - I'd say USay's argument has been defeated.
So how do we let the school board know how we feel? Is the only way to write letters?
Posted by open_eyes (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey USay, care to enlighten us as to how Spanish became the so-called "native" language of Mexico?
Posted by USNretired (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Usay's version of history is deception by omission.
Posted by UsayULoveGod (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Truth will set you free. It doesn't matter what I say or what you say . God has the last word. America is the greatest country in the world, but our hands are dirty. But until we work together things will never change. In 25 years, there will be a shift in who is the majority , so prepare yourself for a change !
Posted by Penny (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It would not surprise me to find that you could get tests administered in English in many other nations whose dominant language is not English. Most other countries teach/learn English from the time children begin school. It's not uncommon for International students to speak 6 or 7 languages. Many still struggle with American English, though. It's not even close to what they learned in the classroom back home :)
I'm not passionate about this subject at all (on either side of the argument). I do have a question, some of you who are or have been teachers may know this...
In public high schools in Kansas where there are large populations of non-English speaking students, do they give all exams in English? If so, then I could see that the same standard should apply to a GED. If they are administered in other ways like in a native language or verbally or whatever, then it seems logical that the same standard should also apply to those getting a GED.
Now, if it was a bar exam to be an attorney or a board exam for doctors, I'd say absolutely has to be proficient in English, preferably the American version.
One more question: The article gave an example of the school district not hiring anyone without a HS diploma or GED. Does that mean a HS diploma from any country? Or does it have to be a US diploma? If a person in this country legally had graduated from HS in Mexico is that acceptable? Just curious.
Posted by alfalfa (anonymous) on May 17, 2008 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Native Americans are a perfect example of what happens when you have open borders and a weak enforcement of immigration laws. Where will all of us be in 20-30 years? I don't fancy learning to speak a half a dozen languages or being moved to a reservation myself..........I want America to remain America.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on May 17, 2008 at 5 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Alfalfa, my friend, I fear it is too late. If there are already twenty million illegal immigrants in the US, as informed sources estimate there to be, and our government refuses to deport them or stop the future flow, our world as it once existed is doomed. Spanish-speaking immigrants reproduce at 5X the rate of Ameican families. So with twenty million already here, and one million more coming in each year, and adding in 5 more children for each two adults in the next two decades, by the year 2050 you and I will be minorities in our own nation and Spanish will be the dominate language. Spanish-speaking voters will also be the largest voting block in the nation. It's too late now, Alfalfa, unless we can find leaders who have the moxie to close the border, round up the criminal invaders and jail them or deport them, and forget the ridiculous idea of amnesty for illegals. Only then will we begin to repair our broken economy, over-burdoned health care and social services programs, start decreasing our crime rate, and take back our culture and heritage.
Local communities can help by not doing stupid things like offering GED programs or diplomas in Spanish, offering local radio progamming in Spanish, or displaying large advertising banners in Spanish in front of local businesses. Emporia Motors is a perfect example of selling out to the illegals to win their dollars. Have you seen the huge banner, in Spanish, on their lot this week? They are not alone, though. Every bank in town and most businesses in town do the same thing on a smaller scale. (Press one for English, two for Spanish; advertising in Spanish). Yes, Alfalfa; it appears America is for sale to the highest bidder. It saddens me to think of the America we are leaving for our children and grand-children.
Posted by justme2 (anonymous) on May 18, 2008 at 11:21 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by create (anonymous) on May 19, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
With regard to Penny's question about assessment testing in English or Spanish, the following is taken from the latest info bulletin from the Kansas DOE:
Directions and prompts available in
Spanish, but response must be written in
English.
• Electronic translators and bilingual
dictionaries are allowed.
Posted by create (anonymous) on May 20, 2008 at 2:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
With regard to the above comment I made about language use on assessment tests: I am a recently retired high school English teacher who has taught many foreign exchange students over the years. All who were in the specific grade levels -- grade 11 for Reading, Grade 10 for Writing -- took the state assessments in English. Some used electronic translators, and were allowed to do so except for the Vocabulary portion of the Reading Assessment.
Posted by tosie (anonymous) on May 20, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Usay said: In 25 years, there will be a shift in who is the majority , so prepare yourself for a change !
How about these immigrants prepare for a change....the change should be that we stop catering to these people and insist that English is our language and it is the language that they shall speak while in school, at work, or taking tests here in the UNITED STATES where ENGLISH is the language. Learn it or get out.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on May 20, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't get it. No other nation in the world allows people to enter their borders illegally. If offenders are discovered, they are arrested, fined, jailed and deported. Well, in many countries, including Mexico, they are given a good beating first. No other nation is going to change their language or culture to accomodate those illegal gate crashers, either. Why do we? Have we become so unpatriotic, so apathetic, so disillusioned with America and the American Dream that we are willing to stand by while a third-world under-developed nation walks in and takes us over, changes our language, and dictates our policies? At the fear of sounding radical, I fear that somewhere down the road the people---and America IS the people---will get fed up with a do-nothing government and take the open border/illegal immigrant matter into their own hands. It's happened before.
Posted by jayhawker (anonymous) on June 2, 2008 at 4:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I know Mike Helbert to be a clear thinking and reasonable person - most of the time. I have to admit that I was somewhat concerned about him during the debate about the Christmas Program, but that appears to have been but a rare moment when his common sense departed. He has redeemed himself nicely here by making a reasoned and sound argument for the self evident. Welcome back, Mike. Too much Christmas cheer in December maybe?
Posted by ConcernedIndividual (anonymous) on February 13, 2009 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The GED is a test of knowledge. Part of it tests math skills, part social studies, part English. If a person has that knowledge and can prove it - in any language - they should get the diploma. We provide testing accommodations all the time to kids, for example reading the questions out loud to the ones who don't understand written words as well as they do spoken ones. If someone wants to prove their knowledge of high school content, they take the GED test. If they want to prove their knowledge of the English language, a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam is the one they need to take. The vocabulary needed to pass the GED is specific to the content it tests, and native Spanish speakers who can communicate perfectly well in English, conversationally, might still not know how to say, for example, the word 'synonym' in English but understand the concept anyway. Content-specific vocabulary is rarely necessary for the type of jobs are available to people whose highest degree is from a high school or GED. The Board needs to decide what it wants students taking the GED to prove, what knowledge they need to possess to pass it, before they can determine what language to administer the test in.
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