Gena Kittner, Wisconsin State Journal (Madison), February 8, 2009
Being taught about famous people and events in Wisconsin history in Spanish is not how some Waunakee parents want their fourth-graders learning social studies at school.
“We as parents have been in such an uproar over this,” said Keith Wilke about the district’s elementary language program in which students learn Spanish by having the language integrated into social studies lessons for 30 minutes three days a week in first through fourth grades. “They’re force-fed Spanish.”
This is the third year for the program, which has added one grade a year since 2006 and is designed to continue until fifth grade.
“A fair amount of (social studies instruction) has been in Spanish,” said Wilke, who has a daughter in fourth grade. “The kids are to the point where they don’t understand it.”
Concerns over teaching more complex topics in Spanish isn’t a surprise to district leaders and a meeting Thursday has been set to address those issues.
“We realized the area that we were going to have the most concern … was the fourth grade,” said Randy Guttenberg, district superintendent, who also said that administrators have monitored the fourth-grade program all year. “The content in social studies becomes more complex at that point.”
Topics covered during social studies in the younger grades, such as community and family structure, fit well with learning a language, he said.
But once students start tackling more specialized topics such as Wisconsin history—including information about landforms—adding a foreign language to the mix can make learning more challenging.
{snip}
Magnes [Jean Magnes, mother of two children in the district] said because of how the subject has been taught, students aren’t learning Spanish or history.
“They don’t enjoy (Spanish), don’t speak it,” she said.
{snip}
Original article
(Posted on February 10, 2009)
Comments
The parents should fire everyone responsible for this travesty. The schools exist to serve the taxpayers and not the other way around. It is time the taxpayers make their presence felt…
Why are these parents so shocked and surprised? After all, these are good Wisconsans of Scandinavian ancestry, that, like their kin back in the old country, votes liberal/Democrat (and liberal/Republican) every election. And they excoriate Southerners for their racial “backwardness.” Then they wonder why they have to start speaking the language of their political party’s fastest growing constituency. You made your bed.
“We as parents have been in such an uproar over this,” said Keith Wilke about the district’s elementary language program in which students learn Spanish by having the language integrated into social studies lessons for 30 minutes three days a week in first through fourth grades. “They’re force-fed Spanish.”
Well, at least they’ll be able to communicate with their demographic replacements I suppose…
Lawsuits should come from every direction against that bastion of evil liberal ideology, along with personal law suits as well for the people directly responsible, until the entire district is banrupt and chased out of the area.
If this is not nipped in the bud, Spanish will be legislated an official language in the near future.
Once that happens, all government jobs will require mandatory bilingualism, with hiring preference going to Spanish first-language applicants. All government signage and publications will have to be in both languages, and translation services offered at government conferences. Bilingualism will make English speakers second-class citizens.
This happened in Quebec Canada in the 1970s.
When we moved to Texas when I was in the 5th grade, I was mortified to find out that I had to take Spanish… and this was 5th grade people, it wasn’t an elective. I was so angry b/c I always had A’s and B’s and all year long I got a dang C in that stupid class.
I realized that it was the only way to have all the Mexicans pass to the next grade - they would get A’s of course in this class - so even if they got D’s and F’s the A would save them from flunking.
“The content in social studies becomes more complex at that point.”
Why does it have to? 50 years ago our schools educated children. Why is this a problem today? I would suggest someone find a pre-1960 teachers course study and simply GO BACK TO THE BASICS.
One reason children aren’t learning is because they aren’t being taught. They’re being indoctrinated.
I remember watching c-span and a black congress woman citing the need for educating children about sexually transmitted disease. What struck me is how cavalier she was when she said something to the affect, ‘we can add this to the school curricula’.
That’s how our schools are run. Everyone who has an agenda tacks on their program. Each program nips away at the core curricula. So they now learn about STDs, other cultures, tolerance, etc. That makes less time to learn reading, writing, math, and science.
That’s why by and large, Catholic schools still work. For the most part, they haven’t lost their footing or been swayed by every new-fangled teaching gimmick and political agenda.
And remember, once you study the language of the illiterates, your IQ is likely to fall. I recommend German or French. Or, for a real challenge, Russian is quite good, and likely to boost IQ.
; )
As a Canadian who has long tried to warn Americans I see this all in a very bad light. It reminds me of the way it was in Canada in the 1960’s when Anglo-Canadians complained about having “French crammed down our throats”. Now it is Americans complaining about “being force-fed Spanish”. It’s deja vu. I can only warn Americans that it’s a slippery slope. Once your language is under attack, it ends very badly for you. In my opinion the Spanish language is a great threat to Americans. I fear by the time Americans wake up to this reality it will be too late.
During his campaign, Obama stated that he thought every American should learn Spanish. What’s the problem here? I’m just sitting around until the Federal government funds free Spanish Lessons for White people. Hey, everybody’s at the food trough now, including the bankers, why not me?
The descendants of Germans and Swedes are now learning Spanish. In the late 1890’s the state of Wisconsin had to pass laws that prevented German immigrants from teaching their children in German. Will they do the same a hundred years later with mestizo immigrants and the Spanish language?
In Loudoun County, Virginia first through fifth graders receive mandatory, non-graded Spanish instruction. There was never an open hearing about this program before it was implimented and the purpose of it was never fully explained.
It started during the GW Bush administration. In my opinion, the order for this program, and similar ones came from the highest levels of the US Government. It is an attempt to soften up the American people (in this instance through our children) to a future North America with little or no effective borders.
Here in Canada all the federal jobs are preference to the Quebec French.
They have the advantage because they learn English also in Quebec because they need to.
The rest of us learn only English for the most part, so when the job qualifications call for bilingual, well there you go, the jobs for the Quebecers.
So you see Americans, just keep letting the Spanish grow out of control and before long the bilingual Mexicans will have all the federal jobs as is mandated by the crooked judges.
I’m another Canadian who wants to sound the alarm bells real loud! Spanish is fast becoming a de facto recognized ‘official’ language in the United States, and if Americans allow that to happen, you can bet on all sorts of troubles. Just look to Canada for an example of what can happen. We’ve had two Quebec sovereignty referendums, it’s impossible to run for federal politics if you don’t speak French, the federal civil service is dominated by francophones, there’s French on every cereal box, and much, much more! As one Quebec politician once put it, it constitutes nothing less than a never-ending trip to the dentist’s office. C’mon, Americans, you don’t really want this linguistic diversity, do you?
Look at the last names mentioned in the article: Magnes, Wilke, Guttenberg. Why is the school system teaching their children Spanish instead of German, Swedish and Norwegian?
Seems to me they are trying to crush the ethnic groups that settled Wisconsin — deny them their own language and force their children to learn a foreign language.
Once your culture is destroyed and you are called “white” you can be suppressed.
But perhaps the liberals of Wisconsin see Swedes, Norwegians and Germans as dead peoples, with dead cultures, and dead languages. Perhaps liberals see them as already extinct and not worth preserving. They are all a part of the Great Evil White Mass.
Why Spanish? Wouldn’t it be better to learn Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, French, or German? These languages would be an asset to the study of history, government, business, or international affairs. Spanish is not a major language in any of these areas. Wouldn’t it be better to teach the languages that are common to global commerce and diplomatic affairs rather than Spanish, the language of busboys, maids, and landscapers?
“As a Canadian who has long tried to warn Americans I see this all in a very bad light. It reminds me of the way it was in Canada in the 1960’s when Anglo-Canadians complained about having “French crammed down our throats”. Now it is Americans complaining about “being force-fed Spanish”. It’s deja vu. I can only warn Americans that it’s a slippery slope. Once your language is under attack, it ends very badly for you. In my opinion the Spanish language is a great threat to Americans. I fear by the time Americans wake up to this reality it will be too late.”
Posted by Anonymous at 6:55 PM on February 10…
Thanks for the warning. I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, and arrived here in America with my family (legally!) in 1984… I remember starting French lessons in Grade 7 and know only too well how this “language issue” has affected Canada.
Now we’re faced with the same issue down here! At least the French Canadians were legal citizens… Unfortunately, many of the Hispanics with all of their demands are illegal aliens!
I’m now receiving Kaiser health insurance “news” and surveys in THREE languages: English, Spanish and Chinese! Insane…
I have no problem with this. Good grief, it’s only 30 minutes, three days a week, not as if it’s all day long! Hardly enough, in fact.
It’s a good idea for them to learn as many languages as possible, especially when young. The more the better. It can only benefit them. Every language is an asset.
I’d be much more concerned with WHAT is being taught than in what language it’s being taught. A language is just a vehicle; what matters is what’s inside. That it’s in Spanish is irrelevant. They should do it in French, Russian, and Hindi too.
“As a Canadian who has long tried to warn Americans, I see this in a very bad light. It reminds me of the way it was in Canada in the 1960’s when Anglo-Canadians complained about having “French crammed down our throats”.
Incidentally, I sympathize with the Canadian. Bilingualism as it’s been applied in Canada has been unwise and has been detrimental to the majority. While learning other languages is desireable, I’m AGAINST official bilingualism. That’s quite another thing. A foreign should not be elevated to equal status with the local language. And I’m against having it “forced down anyone’s throat”.
“Look at the last names mentioned in the article: Magnes, Wilke, Guttenberg. Why is the school system teaching their children Spanish instead of German, Swedish and Norwegian? Seems to me they are trying to crush the ethnic groups that settled Wisconsin — deny them their own language and force their children to learn a foreign language.”
That was already done a century ago. Was English their native language?
For those of you making comments belittling the Spanish language, I’d like to remind you that it is a European language spoken by fellow European/Euro-descended people in Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and other places here and there. Personally, I like the Spanish language, I think it’s an important and interesting part of European culture and just as good as any other language mentioned.
I understand that teaching Spanish there would be more Mexican-centric, unfortunately. I say speak up against the illegal immigrants and our society catering to them, but don’t disrespect a good European language.
While visiting a State park in rural Wisconsin, I was surprised
I’m now receiving Kaiser health insurance “news” and surveys in THREE languages: English, Spanish and Chinese! Insane…
I am quite sure the government would not send out voting information printed in English in Mexico or Bolivia. Nor would anyone expect them to.
I was once loudly denounced in Colombia for speaking English to a hotel clerk. (The clerk had been raised in the US and spoke English perfectly; hence he CHOSE to speak to me in English.) Some gent behind us in the lobby said, very loudly for the benefit of all within earshot, “The language here is Spanish! You’re not in the USA now!” It was embarrassing. I should have told him I was not speaking to him so he did not have to be concerned about it; but I said nothing.
Incidentally, I have lately noticed ads posted on NY City bus shelters which are written in Spanish ONLY. They don’t even make any attempt at being bilingual! Although I can read them perfectly well, I find this quite offensive. As I just said, this is still the USA. (Or is it?)
The United States has nothing at all to gain from the growth and increasing entrenchment of Spanish within its borders. It now looks like Spanish-speaking enclaves are going to be an permanent fixture on the American landscape. This is a very bad thing. Language becomes a political football and American English-speakers will find themselves as disenfranchised as Whites now are due to AA. In Canada language wars have devastated the Anglo community. This is very bad for Americans. All sorts of subterfuge will be used here to sell Americans on how “wonderful” bilingualism is, just like in the 60’s to pass “civil rights” Americans were told their would be no AA, but you will be losing out BIG TIME.
“The United States has nothing to gain from the growth and increasing entrenchment of Spanish within its borders. It now looks like Spanish-speaking enclaves are going to be an permanent fixture on the American landscape.”
In another century, going at this rate, the USA (if it still exists) will look as balkanized as the Ottoman Empire was before its collapse. A chaotic mishmash of everything! But, ironically, some people want it that way. It’s not happening by accident.
So you see Americans, just keep letting the Spanish grow out of control and before long the bilingual Mexicans will have all the federal jobs as is mandated by the crooked judges.
At least the mexicans will have to wait until all of the blacks have retired!
