Teachers are losing their jobs because they cannot speak Spanish, is that racism?

Question

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northwest/chi-monoglotaug17,1,3078350.story
just plain and simple facts. Why aren't people able to learn English and what is it going to be like have whole cities that are spanish speaking only?

Answer 1

yes!!!
thats as plain and simple as i can get!!!

Answer 2

I work in a school in Az. and I have never heard of this. They can choose to hire a teacher who speaks English and Spanish but not fire them for not speaking Spanish. I still believe that if ur living in America then u should be speaking English, The American Language.

Answer 3

Why teach Spanish when the Hispanics don't have a full grasp of English nor do they speak true Spanish. I knew many Mexicans who got low grades in their Spanish class because they didn't speak proper Spanish. Proper Spanish is like proper English is to American English. If they are in the US then they need to learn English and let their parents teach them their Mexican Spanish at home.

Answer 4

I am going to college to become a teacher. I have decided to learn Spanish before it is required.
It is complete bull, we should not be forced to learn another language.
So what if they do in Europe, they have the European Union also, do we want to give up our sovereignty for the North American Union now? I don't.
The schools in my area are beginning to require that new hires speak Spanish. How is that fair to people who have dedicated their life teaching our children and now could lose their jobs because someone else is deciding that they are not good enough because they didn't learn a FOREIGN language?
Also, my grandmother came here from Germany, she had to learn English, no one cared or kissed her A** because she felt she was too good to assimilate.

Answer 5

That's not racism, its life.

The United States has no set language and if what is needed in areas is Spanish speaking teachers, that's what they're going to hire.
Spanish speaking tudents shouldn't be forced to learn English automatically, they should progressively learn it through the guidance of a teacher who will understand them. Having a teacher speak their language can help facilitate their learning.

Answer 6

I don't think there is racism. If they aren't able to do the job, then they can't do it. They need people who can do the job by also knowing Spanish, and it's not only Latinos, a black or white woman or man can easily get this job if they do know Spanish.
I have a feeling they needed teachers who speak Spanish (either fluently or they have learn it) so it can be easier to teach whoever they are teaching to learn English, that's what i think.

Answer 7

What I can't believe is that there are people here suggesting it's the teacher's fault for not learning Spanish.

I'm a teacher, I speak English only.

My wife is Chinese, she moved to NYC when she was 15. She tells me she disliked bilingual education, because it held her back, sheltered her.

All we are doing is enabling these Spanish people in not learning English. That has to stop. I'm about fairness, giving them an opportunity to learn English...but schools should offer "boot camp" sessions before and after school where an ESL teacher comes in and hammers the kids with English lessons.

There is no excuse for this...although those teachers don't have any rights to what happens to them...as long as they aren't fired, just reassigned (districts can do that freely)...I would be extremely pissed off at the district.

No, it isn't racism, but it just isn't good policy.

And no, American born Americans shouldn't have to learn a new language just for job security or convenience. It is suggested (like most other countries do) to at least get a working knowledge of another language...I suggest Chinese...those are the ones taking over the world, not the Spanish speakers!

Answer 8

We've been nice so far and allowed teachers who don't really know English to teach in our schools; why can't these stupid Spanish proponents learn to show the same respect by not forcing Spanish as a requirement?

Answer 9

OMG, you actually believe whole cities will only speak Spanish?! Yes, Spanish is becoming a dominate language in the US, but English is still the dominate language that pretty much dominates the world, especially in business.

Answer 10

Yes. If the parents insist their kids be taught in Spanish, let them take their kids home to Mexico. They got plenty of Spanish speaking teachers there.

Answer 11

Yes, it is racism. There is no reason why they can't learn English except that they are lazy and have no desire to learn English...although if they make it so there are TWO languages, it makes it very hard for there to be any cohesiveness and much easier to tear down an establishment for the creation of the North American Union.