The U.S. Supreme Court decision (Plyler v. Doe), declared states and school districts could not deny a K-12 education to any resident child if a free public education is offered to other children. (James Plyler, who lent his name to this significant case, was superintendent in Tyler, Texas, at the time.)
More specifically, the law stated: (1) public schools must provide an equal education to all children, regardless of citizenship status (14th Amendment); (2) schools are prohibited from asking for documentation of a child’s immigration status; (3) schools cannot use Social Security numbers as a prerequisite for enrollment; (4) school personnel are forbidden from sharing any information about a child’s immigration status with any individual or institution, including government agencies that enforce the immigration laws.
I invite anyone with any concerns to contact me to share their opinion (886-4500 or mlucas@oconee.k12.sc.us). I welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue; however, no citizen has contacted me (or the district office) regarding the issue.
The training provided to drivers is part of their regular job requirements. The transportation receive training as part of their employment as a state bus driver.
Everyday we have children who have parents who may not be at home when the bus arrives (nothing to do with language skill or socio-economic factors). There may be a very legitimate reason (a car accident or a problem at work) for not being present. The protocol for very young children is to return them to the school. This is a safety and liability issue for the district.
I am accountable to the citizens of the community, and, as a result, must follow all laws and regulations established by our state and federal governments ... to do less would be negligence on my part. Schools are forbidden by federal law (and case law) from inquiring about a parent’s legal status. We enroll all children if they live in the community. In many cases the child is actually a US citizen.
The school system does not offer bilingual education. We offer an English-immersion program for non-English speaking students, but it is helpful to have some knowledge of the language.
Again, I welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue with anyone in our community. Our focus is on educating children so that they can become productive citizens.
The reading and literacy coach is to work directly with teachers. One of the critical elements of reading is that students be able to read highly technical information. The reading coach is someone who works with teachers to demonstrate how content material can be taught in such a way as to assist students in developing necessary skills to be successful in today's world of work.
Remember, the newspaper is written at about 8th grade level. Many of the careers of today require reading of complex and technical material. The purpose of the coach is not to teach basic reading skills, but to help secondary content teachers employ more critical analytical reading skills in their disciplines.
It must be said that reading as a subject generally stops at 3rd grade. Students after grade 3 are to engage in text within the content areas of instruction. This requires specialized vocabulary, as well as comprehension skills.
Hi, llinsin. I honor and respect your comments, but let me ellaborate a little.
I can assure you that is a very conservative budget. The fat has been removed from the budget over the past few years. You can note that we've reduced operational millage since 2003, as well as institute efficiencies to save taxpayer money.
It also must be noted that we have tried to collaborate with other government entities to reduce the tax burden. For instance, the new building to support workforce readiness will be on the district's property. This saves money that can be applied to the facility from this federal grant.
SDOC must educate all children. We do not have a way to "screen out" children who come to us with a condition that would make them more expensive to education. ESOL students are an example. We educate them in English. We also work to educate handicapped and poor kids. To not do so would be a violation of state and federal law.
We do not hire "translators," but we do have several employees who are bilingual. This helps us communicate with families in our community so as to enhance instructional opportunities.
These are hard budget times, but I would argue that certain community responsibilities must exist during all economic times. We're educating children so that they will be able to be sufficient in the future. The additional funds that are being requested with have only a small impact on a small segment of the community ... yet it will have a large positive impact on the entire community.
I welcome you to give me a call. We gladly share financial information with the public. Much of it is available online, and I can point you in the direction you need to go.
The headline in the print edition, "School Strategic Plan Focuses on Minorities,” may be somewhat misleading. The School District is focusing on historically underachieving groups; these groups typically do not perform as well as other groups in the school population on standardized tests. The five groups include (a) disabled students, (b) males, (c) students qualifying for free/reduced lunches, (d) African-American (a minority), and (e) Hispanic students of Limited English Proficiency (an ethnic group).
Students often find themselves in multiple categories. For instance, a white male who had a learning disability qualifying for free lunch actually is in three “historically underachieving groups”: male, disabled, and lunch status.
I used the phrase to express an important concept: All citizens, not just parents, have a responsibility to the children of the community. For example, all citizens pay taxes to support the education process (not just those with children) and each has a vested economic interest in the next generation. I have not read Senator Clinton’s book, but I have read Jane Cowen-Fletcher’s book for children, “It Takes a Village,” which predates Clinton’s book by a couple of years. Cowen-Fletcher’s book is based on her experiences as an American in a West African village, and she shares the story of a young girl and her brother that illustrates the proverb. I have a copy of the Cowen-Fletcher book in my office, not Senator Clinton’s, and I like the phrase because it paints a picture in much fewer words. I never meant the phrase to be insulting, provocative or politically charged. I invite citizens to read my blog to stay informed (www.lucassdocblog.blogspot.com). Michael Lucas, District Superintendent
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Posted on August 28 at 4:52 p.m.
On Tell Willie: 8/28/08
In reference to student enrollment comments ...
The U.S. Supreme Court decision (Plyler v. Doe), declared states and school districts could not deny a K-12 education to any resident child if a free public education is offered to other children. (James Plyler, who lent his name to this significant case, was superintendent in Tyler, Texas, at the time.)
More specifically, the law stated:
(1) public schools must provide an equal education to all children, regardless of citizenship status (14th Amendment);
(2) schools are prohibited from asking for documentation of a child’s immigration status;
(3) schools cannot use Social Security numbers as a prerequisite for enrollment;
(4) school personnel are forbidden from sharing any information about a child’s immigration status with any individual or institution, including government agencies that enforce the immigration laws.
References - US Supreme Court Site: http://www.oyez.org/cases/1980-1989/1981...
Find Law - http://laws.findlaw.com/us/457/202.html
Cornell Law School Supreme Court Collection - http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/...