Posted by just thinkin, a resident of the Castro City neighborhood, on Apr 25, 2009 at 11:59 pm

If we enforced our immigration laws and demanded that employers used E-Verify, then we would not need ESL classes in our schools. Illegal immigrants need a tremendous amount of resources and our country can no longer afford to provide all the services illegal immigrants need.

Illegal immigrants are overcrowding our schools, our health care system, our housing, our emergency services, our jails, etc. Illegal immigrants are also taking scarce jobs that US citizens desperately need to survive. We need to enforce our immigration laws at every level!

Posted by Sacrifice and succeed, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Apr 26, 2009 at 10:19 pm

Obviously the “free” English as a Second Language (ESL) class at Castro Elementary School for local parents isn’t free. The Mountain View elementary district is short $2.6 million for the next 17 months. The high school district faces $2 million in reductions over the next 17 months, and approximately $1.3 million of this will come from the Adult School. Kit Miller a teacher started a petition to keep and continue the ESL class at Castro Elementary School. How will a petition create funds that aren’t there from the school districts?

In the MV-Voice report a student, who currently attends the “free” ESL class, says she has no time to commute by bus to Moffett Boulevard every day. The student said, “She drops her three children off at Castro in the morning, and needs to be back by 11:15 a.m. to pick the youngest up from preschool”. Why doesn’t this particular parent/student show by example to her children how important a “free” education is by making sacrifices and attend classes at the Adult School campus. Rosa is the epitome of the Latino/Latina educational gap that exists in America. If school is too hard, don’t attend. This country offers the tools to succeed, it’s up to each individual to access and use the tools to succeed.

I am an immigrant to the U.S.A and I came to this country with the hopes that my hard work, determination and sacrifices will benefit my family. It has! The hardships my family and I endured to educate ourselves make the successes we have sweeter.

Posted by USA1, a resident of another community, on Apr 27, 2009 at 8:39 am

People have an opportunity every day to learn the language. If someone wants to do it, they will.

Maybe next year I will go to Mexico and see if they have any SSL classes so I can learn at the expense of someone else's government.

Yeah, that will happen...

Posted by Robin Iwai, a resident of the Martens-Carmelita neighborhood, on Apr 27, 2009 at 1:20 pm

The question was why, if MVLA high school district pulls their funding, would the MVWSD need to consider a group of parents whose children attend Castro School an "outside group" and start charging them a fee for facility usage?

I searched the MVWSD board by-laws online and couldn't find anything that says a fee must be charged. I asked this question and am still hoping for an answer.

And could we please leave 'illegal immigrant" out of the discussion? That's like me accusing you of cheating on your income taxes without ever having checked to find out if you did or not. Last time I checked, no one had "exceeds speed limit" or "cheats on taxes" or "entered country illegally" stamped on their forehead, so how do you know all this?

From the file of "you can't have it both ways...." you can't complain that people don't want to learn English, and then complain when they DO want to learn English.

Posted by can't have it both ways, a resident of the North Whisman neighborhood, on Apr 27, 2009 at 3:32 pm

Robin aren’t you asking to have it both ways? Illegal immigrants are here ILLEGALY? When a speeder exceeds the posted speed limit and caught doing so they are punished with an expensive violation ticket. When someone files taxes improperly they are punished by a fine. Your examples of a “scarlet letter” pertaining to illegal immigrants is pretty weak at best. If a car jacker stole your car, would it be called “undocumented automobile transfer”?

Since you are the Board President of the MV Day Worker Center, it doesn’t surprise me that you request to not use “illegal immigrant” in any discussion. I do agree with you on this point, you can’t have it both ways.

Posted by Mr. Payback, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, on May 1, 2009 at 11:34 am

When will we learn, take care of our own first. INS do your job.