Crossposted on 43rd State Blues
Thanks to No Child Left Behind, my daughters were removed from class on Friday (with no previous warning and explanation to parents or them) and subjected to a test that only a handful of their peers had to take. I'm so glad and relieved to learn that they're fluent in English. Apparently they're at risk because a second language is spoken in the home. And all along I thought they were at risk of being smarter.
The author of this paragraph, Idaho Rep. Brian Cronin, who has a master's degree from Harvard, runs a Spanish language preschool and summer camp with his wife.
Some interesting points were brought up in the Facebook discussion, including:
This is disturbing and upsetting, I can't imagine how you and your wife must feel. As a naturalized citizen of our country (naturalized at age 4 and have been here for 37 years), I am outraged at how this is even an issue. Criminy!
Or is this more of an Idaho problem?
Yes, Idaho has a way to go. I once had a day-care provider refuse to provide services to a bright, healthy refugee child comparing their lack of English skills to being autistic. Needless to say, as they were receiving state funds, DHW got a call...
Cronin, who's wife is from Ecuador, added:
Here's the most troubling/poignant part of all. Alana took this all in stride but Kyra was quite rattled and agitated by the whole ordeal. Getting called to principal's office under mysterious circumstances is somewhat stigmatizing. She came home and both broke my heart and made me proud, talking about her rights having been violated: "Why should I be punished because of where my parents are from? I didn't choose my parents!"
Has anything like this happened in your state?
And finally, if the students are trilingual, would they have to take even more tests?