January 7, 2009
A One-Way Street Across a Two-Way Border
I may be misunderstanding him, but it appears that Rhode Island elementary and secondary education commissioner Peter McWalters believes that Rhode Island should seek to attract illegal immigrants to our state in order to educate their children:
In Rhode Island, McWalters said, "We're not in agreement that these kids are worth it because we are torn between a culture that's says, 'We don't want you,' and one that wants them to come here. We have to decide that these kids are worth it and that it is necessary to pay the bill."
I don't know, commissioner; we've got an awful lot of bills to pay. We should educate children while they're here, but for a state in our condition to deliberately court an intractable problem would be the height of insanity. Just skim down the article a few paragraphs:
English language learners are not a monolithic group, however. Nearly two-thirds are second- or third-generation Americans, with at least one parent born in the United States.
People that ambivalent about joining the culture into which they've moved probably aren't the human resource investment that Rhode Island ought to be prioritizing.
Everyone's got an idea of what I should be paying for. Let's all opperate like this, you make the kid YOU pay the bill. Can't afford to - don't have the offspring. Everyone is broke but there's never a discussion about STOPPING ANY SPENDING, we only talk about more taxes and shortfalls. Simple math says that if you eliminate the liabilities then the assets will increase. K.I.S.S. less Government, far fewer Government services and more people paying their way is the recipe!
Posted by: Patriot at January 7, 2009 2:27 PMStudent enrollment is down in many districts in Rhode Island.
The education bureaucrats, teachers union and poverty pimps. The teachers unions, education bureaucrats and poverty pimp's all want more warm bodies to keep the funds flowing to them. Especially "special needs" and "English as a second language" warm bodies.
What we're witnessing with McWwalters and all the rest is naked financial self-interest under the guise of enlightened compassion.
Posted by: Ragin' Rhode Islander at January 7, 2009 4:00 PMWhy does Peter McWalters still have a job? Unbelievable.
Posted by: Will at January 7, 2009 4:30 PMThere must be a HUGE ROCK under which Peter McWalters lives . Does he really believe we should be notifying the Illegals that R I citizens should and would be willing to pay for their children's education . We currently pay in excess of $300 million for their Social Services .That includes Education , Medical care and Incarceration . In 2006 Kids Count RI estimated there were 10,677 E L L students in R I Schools some of which have never attended school a day in their lives in the country they came from .In my community the School Superintendent says these students cost at least $23,000 per year or approximately 45 % more than the rest of the student population .
If Mr. McWalters is correct in stating that two thirds of the E L L's are second and third generation Americans I guess the students and Mr. McWalters missed the Assimilation lecture . One of his own Principals stated in a recent Projo article that " immigrant parents of today want their children to remain part of their home culture" . Maybe this is the reason second and third generation students require E L L classes.
The floodgates Mr. McWalters is about to open may just wash away the ROCK he lives under but then it will be too late . His replacement ,from whatever his country of origin ,will be commenting that they've been here two or three generations and these AMERICANS still can't speak THEIR language .