Criminal Aliens and No Child Left Behind Act?

Question

I hear a lot about the burden that criminal aliens place on our medical and other social structures, but I haven't heard about the drain on our schools.

English Language Learners (ELL) students are a subset of students that must meet federal guidelines. If this year's crop of 3rd graders doesn't read better than last year's, the school can receive a failing mark. Any work done in grades 1 & 2 is lost to the school if the child moves away and is replaced by a new child who has fewer school skills.

I know of a Blue Ribbon school system in which more than 90% of the students are at or above grade level, yet the system is in danger of failing NCLB because of one subset of students.

Should NCLB be changed to allow exceptions for this highly migrant population?

Not all ELL are illegal. Some have come here because their parents are on work visas, and they didn't learn English in their native country.

Wow Chelsea - I didn't say I objected to the children attending the schools, just that I don't want the school subjected to a federal takeover because this subset of children are pulling the scores down. Currently, this school is far above most public and private schools in the U.S. - yet it's in danger of failing.

Answer 1

I completely agree with you. NCLB needs to be changed to allow exceptions for migrant populations. But I don’t think that it should be just the second language transients. I would add to the “migrant status” children who have only been in a certain school for a few weeks no matter what their background, and those that have been absent most of the time.

I teach in one of the school districts like you are talking about. Most of our children are poor and/or second language learners. The transient rate is amazing. Kids come and go according to the seasons, but also for other reasons. There are children who live somewhere for a while, then after the rent becomes due their families move somewhere else. Then when the bill collectors catch up with them, they move again. There are also children who are never in school for more than a day or two a week! It takes time for the SARB (School Attendance Review Boards) paperwork to catch up with them.

It is really frustrating. Children with whom we have been working extra hard all year long, (before and after school tutoring as well as core +plus 30 and lunch bunch), move the week before the "big test". In their place we receive new students, often just in from across the boarder, but other transients as well. The scores of these children, with whom we have never worked, are then used to determine our schools’ status. The whole thing is ludicrous. My district has lost thousands of dollars per school because of children whom we have never even taught!

Answer 2

Illegal immigration causes many problems that's for sure. That is an indisputable fact. Given your estimate of 20 million illegals let's proceed from there. Let's say even 1/3 of them are holding jobs. That's almost 7 million people in the workforce. Contributing to the tax base etc. That would leave 7 million job vacancies. Would our nation be able to handle that many leaving the workforce? Probably not. Would Americans step into these jobs for the pay offered? Probably not. Companies bottom line is profit. Would they raise wages to get Americans to work these jobs? Probably not. More companies would begin to outsource. Thus leaving many Americans out of jobs that now hold jobs. Our entire country would collapse and the Great Depression would look like a cakewalk. As I've said illegal immigration is wrong and needs to stop. But we also need to be realistic on deporting as you say 20 million people. Believe me...It's not going to happen for various reasons. So we must move forward and think of realistic ways to deal with the situation at hand and also insure the illegal situation is stemmed in the future. Better border security and visa systems need to be taken care of first and foremost so the situation doesn't progressively get worse. Once the flow is stopped we can then work on what to do with those already here.

Answer 3

All ELL's are illegal aliens. This subset problem is one that many schools face. There is a three year waver of the requirement to learn English for immigrants that, if properly used should keep new students from being counted in the ELL subset. This is of course the ideal, not necessarily the real world. One of the weaknesses of No Child Left Behind is the lack of provision for students that migrate to and from school districts. This is just one problem that developes from trying to make one size fit all.. This is a weakness in the law and it is not the fault of immigrant students, legal or illegal.

Answer 4

Free meals, extra teachers for ESL or ELL. Thats just a couple of ways. We could go into the free health care, welfare and then the extra burden when these young people begin bringing even more children into this world of poverty.

Thats said, I feel the NCLB is a bunch of crap, not everyone will succeed in this life and all we are now doing is pushiong kids into higher levels of learning before have have mastered the previous level. Thats why we have kids gradutaing high school who cannot even read.

Answer 5

I think the whole thing is rediculous. I had to relocate my child to a different school because on open house night at his high school the whole thing was conducted in Spanish. Anyone who wanted to hear it in English had to go to a tiny classroom on the other side of the campus, instead of in the gymnasium where they had all the information and college recruiters. I am just fed up with illegal immigration as a whole and I think that it takes away from children that are in those schools.

Answer 6

No it shouldnt be changed. The idea is to force these students to learn the english language in which case they will be less of a financial burden on the country later (multiple language forms and interpretors etc) and will have a better chance at becomming part of the American society rather than members of another society who just happen to live in the US

Answer 7

They shouldn't be allowed to be in the schools at all that is integration and sending a message to the legal children that it is OK to be here illegally.

Answer 8

teachers should be made to report illegals. i can't beleive you didn't see the news report about 6 months ago about our education system being considered 3rd world education. others on here have heard the same report.

Answer 9

These children did not ask be here! They have parents who are probaly "criminal aliens" that made that choice for them. However since they are here why should they be treated poorly or why should we have a lower standard for them!?? I say shame on all of you for the way you are refering to these children. None of this politacl BS is any of their fault i think they should be treated equally as it states in the CONSTITUTION for the United States of America.

If you are concerned about your children going to school with "criminal aliens" send them to private school. Who cares about a failing mark these are innocent children and they all should be treated equally becuase they are all children of god!!!!


SHAME ON ALL OF YOU I THINK YOU ARE ALL IDIOTS!

Answer 10

Yes.