OK, time for a rant!  Perhaps you might like to read the article yourself:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10372148/

In a nutshell a kid who is completely bilingual was speaking Spanish to his friend in the hallway at school and BOOM he's suspended for a day and a half!  The principal said "This isn't the first time we've asked them not to speak spanish at school".

  What is up with this!?!?  You know, most people who live outside the US tend to speak more than one language.  We think English is the one and only.  Most people I know these days (because I live in Asia)  know at least 2 languages or more.  This is a BLESSING.  A GOOD thing.  Something ADMIRABLE!

One of the many blessings I find in unschooling is that we are free to mingle with people from all countries, cultures, languages and lifestyles and learn from them and gain from that intereaction, not locked away from the real world.  What a wonderful thing that is!  THIS school is one more reason on my extremely LOOOOONG list of why the school system is NOT for us. 

Instead of drawing on people with special talent or knowledge and using them to enhance the learning of the teachers and student we PUNISH them for knowing something we don't.   ARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

This is probably one of the most incoherent blogs I've written but I'm just so angry and apalled at this that it's hard to string my thoughts together.  "Breathe in, Breathe out, breathe in, breathe out"

I should thank this woman actually.    People still harp on the old "what about socialization" issue from time to time.  I think anytime from now on someone brings this up to me I will bring out this article.  Because what is this school (and many others like it) doing?  Is is gaining from the richness of it's students?  Is it seeing the beautiful stained glass window of different people and places their heritage and history?  NO!  It's just trying to homogenize the world.  Let's all look the same, talk the same, fall in line like a bunch of factory models or clones.

No thanks,    I'll take the rich tapestry of life that the world around me offers, let my kids explore it and experience it, and leave that bland monochrome world to the schools.

You know I'd apologize for ranting like this, but honestly.  I think what makes a person angry says a lot about them.  In this case.  I'm not sorry.

doulos