Angry New Yorker

Semi-Daily Rants from New York City's Angry Man

"As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good man, upon easier terms than I was formerly." - Dr. Samuel Johnson, Boswell, Life of Johnson, Sept. 1783

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Tuesday, May 17, 2005
 
More Multi-Cultural Madness

What a crock this will turn out to be. In addition to enabling parents to continue to avoid learning basic English, it adds an untold new city contractors and union employees at an unknown cost, and further panders to the non-English crowd. Translations of all "important" school documents into eight languages? What qualifies as an important document? How many more languages will be steadily added to this initial batch -- because you can rest assured that every language group will start the petition to add them to the initial eight. City provided interpreters at all parent-teacher conferences? Here's a question: why can't parents assume the responsibility to find someone in their own family circle who speaks English and bring them to a parent-teacher conference?

We at Angry New Yorker continue to again throw up our hands over this entire issue because it, like many social programs, ratchets only one way -- expanding constantly. From today's NY1.com:

Council Weighs Bill Requiring Translation Of School Documents
May 17, 2005

City lawmakers will hear from non-English speaking parents of city school kids both inside and outside City Hall Tuesday as the City Council's education committee weighs a bill requiring that all important school documents be translated when necessary.

Some immigrant parents say they have a hard time keeping track of their children's educations, because they can't understand the materials sent home with students, including report cards and notices.

Parents will rally again on the City Hall steps Tuesday to urge passage of the Education Equity Act. The act was introduced last year and calls for translation of all important school documents as well as interpreters at parent-teacher conferences.

Parents, immigrant advocates and Department of Education officials are expected to testify at a hearing about the bill Tuesday.

The DOE created a new translation and interpretation unit this year and says it's planning to do more.

posted by anonymous at 1:24 PM

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