Comments on: Lawsuit demands DOE increase language services for parents

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:20:00 +0000

At this week’s National Conference on Volunteerism there was much discussion about the role volunteers can play in education. Translation services sounds like a natural – at a minimum to supplement paid staff. In fact, this is not just an idea – we are already doing it. At one Manhattan school PENCIL volunteers increased attendance at parent teacher conferences by 40% simply by providing translation.

By: NYC Educator

NYC Educator — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:24:00 +0000

That’s a very reasonable objection. I’m able to use the Spanish codes only because I happen to understand Spanish, and your point had not occurred to me before before.

I would suggest a list where codes are grouped together. Comments would be listed in English and corresponding codes in various languages could be on the same line, under appropriate headings listing the language. Again, potential flaw would be DOE’s incompetence in translation, but you could always check with teachers in your school, who would likely know better.

I’d also argue that the trend of catering to individual needs is largely in the minds of administrators who advocate such things but fail to acknowledge the supremely obvious–that evaluation in the form of standardized tests is precisely the same for everyone. Furthermore, the movement if more and more toward failing to differentiate for those with special needs, like the ELLs I serve or students with special needs.

By: Mr. Flerporillo

Mr. Flerporillo — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:17:00 +0000

MG, what did you expect — a persuasive argument about how resources should be allocated? 90% of the discourse of the discontented on these message boards is in the vein of children complaining about their parents. The “Supreme Leader” (alternatively, the “Emperor”) does things that aren’t fair, and it stinks. He acts like a dictator. He doesn’t respect us. He says we can’t afford the stuff I want, but oh, he’s got enough money to buy fancy suits. Etc. Bloomberg’s extreme wealth and detachment just reinforce this paternalistic vibe.

Any intelligent discussion of resource allocation has to acknowledge that allocating resources is a zero sum game, and any serious proposal to reallocate resources should make some attempt to use real, verifiable numbers. But here, it’s just a b$#ch-fest. How much money is “wasted in no bid contracts and ineffective school improvement outfits”? ”[P]lenty of $$$$$,” that’s how much.

Pensions, retiree health benefits, tax-deferred annuities with 7% guaranteed annual returns backed by the city, health care for current city employees with no employee contributions — what’s left are the scraps that everyone’s fighting over.

By: Copernicus

Copernicus — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 02:14:00 +0000

How do you expect teachers to know which comments to use if they are in multiple languages? At some point, parents must take responsibility for being prepared to raise a child. As a teacher, I cannot be expected to be able to communicate in all the languages represented in my classroom.
There is a dangerous trend developing of catering to individual needs to a dangerous degree. The fact is that in the work world you are expected to adapt to the job, not the job to you. Instead, we train children and their parents to think they will be catered to continuously.
Why would an English teacher comment on a student’s work in English class in a foreign language? In all other countries business is conducted in the national language.

By: NYC Educator

NYC Educator — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:52:00 +0000

I’d like to see comment codes on report cards available in languages other than English and Spanish. That’s probably not so tough to do, although given DOE’s massive failures in language exams, they’ll likely find a way to screw it up.

By: MG

MG — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 00:05:00 +0000

hmm. this is akin to the Republican argument about all social service spending.

there’s tons of administrative bloat, goes the meme, so no tough decisions need to be made. just cut bloat!

yours, i’d suggest, is just a variation. there are some dumb programs, hapless bureaucrats, etc. agreed. 100%. we should always endeavor to root them out.

what happens with legal mandates is not that, however. it just doesn’t happen.

and it won’t happen this time. instead, basic services in another area are cut. that is the real life implication. to argue that this would be the first time in history that the managerial response will be different is just away to avoid the discomfort of tradeoffs.

i’d welcome a single example of where the lawsuit resulted in cutting admin to provide services. i’m open to them. i just haven’t seen em.

here’s what i’d say is a more typical example. here in boston, the DOJ mandated a shit-ton of “ELL training” and ELL bureaucracy.

thousands of kids were simply reclassified as ELL, that was step 1. but step 2 was a big increase in ELL teachers and administrators.

sports, music, and regular teaching, that’s what got cut.

By: Invictus

Invictus — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:52:00 +0000

While there are parents that are given instructions written on paper or told, verbally, there are parents that are unable to understand the legalese behind what affects their children either in English or worse, their native languages…..

that being told,

If the DoE can afford to have empty suits, running around typing away at their blackberries and drinking skim soy milk iced coffees from Starbucks, their overpriced salaries out to be used in better ways that engage the educational community at large.

There need not to be silly demands that the DoE get more translators in lieu of classroom teachers and the increase of class sizes.

To state or demand that in a lawsuit, in spirit is agreeing with all the waste and corruption that the DoE and the Supreme Leader has been advocating for the past 10 years.

There is plenty of $$$$$ that is wasted in no bid contracts and ineffective school improvement outfits that sell their useless services to struggling schools while siphoning off much needed moneys that are needed in direct classroom services.

The new Special Education initiative is another way of starving services to children in need….as schools whose budgets are shrinking need another way of getting $$$$ and what better way of doing so than being incentivized into forceful inclusion of children with needs to regular classroom, in order to earn peanuts according to the DoE guidelines?

How much more abuse will there be on top of CTT classrooms filled with special needs students taught by regular academic licensed teachers WITHOUT any push in special education teachers or paraprofessionals? This abuse is rampant and I do not trust the DoE to do ANYTHING on behalf of these children or the schools in general.

By: Copernicus

Copernicus — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:09:00 +0000

In all seriousness, there was an astronomical increase in language translation of memos home and services at conferences. Without sounding too right wingish, how about the parents and children put a little effort into learning the language?

By: MG

MG — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:37:00 +0000

There are legit examples in the complaint of parents denied the most basic aspect of fairness.

However

If you’re suing the department to reallocate money towards hiring one type of staff, it’d be nice if you’d suggest the specific corresponding cuts and who’ll be fired.

Example:

Lawsuit demands DOE hire more translators, fire more regular teachers, slightly increase class size.

Lawsuit demands more translation, less tutoring.

It may be satisfying to simply complain and then punt on the real-life implications for kids. But I’m not sure how responsible that is.