Story Created:
Mar 7, 2011
Story Updated:
Mar 7, 2011
Well if you’ve ever tried to enroll a child in a pre kinder program then you are already aware of the Spanish-speaking requirement your child must meet just to get into the classroom.
Today the Texas State Teachers Association brings more awareness as to how budget cuts will further affect our toddlers students.
It’s children like this who are fortunate to get a head start in the school systems public education.
But, what most don’t know is that right now they are among a select few.
That’s because for years limited funds have led school districts to allow only Spanish speaking children into pre-kinder programs, along with those who meet other requirements. But, mainly leaving those who speak English out of the class.
Parent Juan Ramon says, “I didn’t think it was fair for us working families that we had to pay four our kids while everyone else gets it for free only because Spanish is their primary language.”
The Spanish requirement has angered parents in the past and come as a surprise to many others.
That’s why today the Texas State Teachers Association is trying to spread awareness about such issues affecting education.
With the states upcoming budget cuts, they’re warning the public that pre k may now be cut all together. No matter what language your child speaks.
TSTA Member Mario Zarragoza, “Regardless of English or Spanish the budget cuts will affect them. So they’re looking to eliminate pre-k. So now the parent has to pay for independent care day care and pay out the own pockets.”
Juan Centeno currently has his 3 year old, Julianne, enrolled in private day care. “Day care is expensive so for those who can’t send their kids to public schools I can see how other families will have issues.”
And the expense for public school concerns members of the TSTA, especially for those children coming from single parent households.
Ale Lighter, of the TSTA, says, “The quality of life is affected. The parent will not be at home as much and they wont be able to spend as much quality time because they have to pay for the program.”
Now districts have not made there ultimate decisions on what programs the cuts will hit, but right now they are seeing pre-k as an option.
Meanwhile, this is one of the many issues the TSTA is bringing awareness to in trying to gather the public in rallying for education.
They want you to join them at the state capital on March 12. That rally is for all union rights and education as well. Then on April 2, they’re calling that day the call for action where they’ll be marching against cutting school funds from the Laredo Public Library to Blas Castaneda Park.
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what a boso said on Friday, Mar 11 at 8:41 AM
@ Time to Learn. If the kid doesn't understand your english how will you teach him and still be accountable to Anual Yearly Progress AYP and still be acceptable under state standards AEIS? Its easy for people to SAY things without understanding the full impact of their words as a result of myopic views. One should understand the problem fully before making bozo remarks. You're proposing teaching kids to high dive without their knowing how to swim first.
62515123Time To Learn said on Thursday, Mar 10 at 8:35 PM
English only at schools. This is America, not Mexico and these are American tax dollars that are used.
62487951Chill out said on Thursday, Mar 10 at 6:51 PM
Texas is in danger of dying from a thousand cuts thanks to the governors leadership. I remember Carol Strayhorn warn the Governor about his tax cuts.
62481036Anonymous said on Thursday, Mar 10 at 2:05 PM
Well said J, very well said!
62453688J said on Thursday, Mar 10 at 1:43 PM
The government should temporarily help those that are trying to help themselves, NOT people that sit on their butts all day that are not even required to pass a drug, background check and urine test to ask for benefits. Education should be everyone’s priority, that‘s why other countries are so far ahead of us in it. Kids should be taught at a young age and maybe many of our social issues would disappear. Schools and educational programs are there for education and should not be used as daycares. What worries me about not having these programs is that so many more children will be left out of valuable formative instruction that is needed by the time they attend 1st grade. Education should be inclusive not exclusive.
62451511J said on Thursday, Mar 10 at 1:27 PM
From experience I can tell you its very hard for middle to high income families to pay for daycare. I paid in excess of $950 a month for two full-time children and one afterschooler. I went to places such as CCS to see if I could get assistance since my husband is a US Vet and was getting shorter hours at work and hardly making ends meet. According to their guidelines, we made too much so no help there. Thing that upset me the most was that the manager at the daycare pointed to me that most of the parents that received CCS claim separation and yet the father was still living at the home and these were also driving late model vehicles. Unfortunately, my husband got laid off and I had to withdraw our kids since we could no longer afford it. My two pre-schoolers still don’t qualify for Head Start & Pre-K or any federal assistance despite being a one-earner family. It’s unfortunate that there is no assistance for those that actually work, fought for their country, and pay taxes.
62449883Anonymous said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 10:09 PM
Education Secretary Arne Duncan says an estimated 82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled as "failing" under the nation's No Child Left Behind Act this year.
62385591.... said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 2:50 PM
i love anthony
62346966Anonymous said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 2:33 PM
peso excange rate 12 peso= $1 or 1 kid= $5000 in food stamps Laredo currency is the Lone Star Card and Laredo's slogan is "hablame en espanol" Go "El Martin!" If you don't have a kid by 16 you haven't done it Laredo style YEAH YEAH
62345311Anonymous said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 8:46 AM
Morton-Thiokol, Xontex, Colt, Boeing, Federal, GM, Rockwell International, Schlumberger, Rocketdyne, Bell, and Cargill to name a few who make money out of US military and government policy of "helping" our nation friends.
62310217Anonymous said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 1:03 AM
Okay if the US is such a great neighbor to Mexico, why isn't there Mexican Military Bases in the US? Why does the US setup military bases all over the darn planet? I'll tell you why, because War is extremely profitable. In fact WE (the US) funnel more money into military assests than in Education and Healthcare combined. One fighter jet costs a few million dollars.. about the price of a school or a hospital, what does Cuba do when a country asks for aid? It sends medical personnel, the US sends in the military!
62291712Anonymous said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 12:57 AM
Voters in Memphis have approved disbanding the city's school system and forcing the county to take over its education.
62291576Anonymous said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 12:55 AM
Who is Ralph Nadar?
62291496Shocked said on Wednesday, Mar 9 at 12:45 AM
How did these become about terrorist and micheal who
62291122Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 11:13 PM
Also, Venezula doesn't depend on anyone else for its recources.. it does not have a deficit, in fact, at this point it has a 280 million surplus. Our nation has what a few billion/trillion in debt? Yeah, the US wants to drive itself into the ground and sadly the poor/middle class are the ones that suffer, while if your rich, the banks give you interest on how much millions you have in the bank.. sounds fair? Not to me... keep getting them credit cards and take out home loans!
62285146Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 11:09 PM
You would probably say the same thing about Micheal Moore.. fancy that!
62284916Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 11:05 PM
My name is Khan, and I'm not a Terrorist!
62284648Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 7:59 PM
Anonymous, It sounds like you hate the United States. This forum on parental responsibility, or the lack of it, is not the place to discuss your hatred of America and your misplaced admiration of butchering Marxist, freedom-hating, communist like Che Guevara. I'm glad the CIA and the Bolivians killed that sack of s***.
62270821Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 7:15 PM
For the record I am not Latin in origin.. I am White-European. I just don't read material from US Government-backed sources. An "easy" way to learn is to find out about The Bay of Pigs to start with why Fidel/Che did what they did. Find out why in central Mexico people sport Che T-shirts.. the tide is changing..
62267942Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 7:04 PM
Anonymous, Half of the countries you mentioned have illiteracy rates of over 10% and one of them is over 20%. Why such misplaced admiration for a cold-blooded murderer? For one, he was fighting the US-backed presidents, ask yourself why the world hates the USA. Why? One reason is because they do premptive strikes, censor the media (Iraq) and claim that their bombs are accurate (of 50 lazer guided bombs, none of them hit their mark in the latest gulf war) The politicians lie and point fingers. Most of the Latin-American Alliance is newly formed, much have rallied around General Bolivian (which Che also rallied around, and who Hugo Chavez emulates.) CIA strikes to Fidel all failed and he doesn't even wear a bullet proof vest! Please don't listen to American Media. Seek and you shall find.
62267327Cynical said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 3:59 PM
If these kids will no longer get a "free ride" at Pre-K, they will now get a "free ride" at a daycare or learning facility since the government helps low income families pay for day care. Somehow, someway, some government agency will support them.
62252961Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 2:34 PM
"inkling of"
62245071Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 2:32 PM
Yes JT parents are responsible for their children. I truley belive this. People say I'm too proud to ask for government help even though I probably qualify. I tell them its not pride. They are my kids, my responsibility. I am responsible for feeding them clothing them putting a roof on their heads, etc. etc etc. And to this day I pride myself on paying for all their expenses with my hard earned money, not someone elses. I have seen some of the parents that pick up their children in pre-k and they are mostly stay at home moms (I'm sorry to stereotype) who are on housing and recieve foodstamps and who cant speak a word of English. I sometimes wonder how it is they learned to convert pesos to dollars but they did not learn how to speak an inkling og English. I guess it's what is more convient for them .
62244941Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 1:02 PM
It seems you don't get it but the U.S. doesn't (that is does NOT) have an official language. To all you mad hatters Spanish will be the dominant language before you know it.
62237092Lalo said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 11:30 AM
The entitlement mentality is alive and well in Laredo, TX.
62227866JT said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 10:50 AM
Anonymous, Half of the countries you mentioned have illiteracy rates of over 10% and one of them is over 20%. Why such misplaced admiration for a cold-blooded murderer? Also, parents are ultimately resposible for their children. The cost doesn't matter. The inconvenience doesn't matter. The state did not have your child. You had him/her. You provide.
62223926Anonymous said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 3:42 AM
to prek paying parent, in Venezula, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Chile, Cuba illiteracy is almost non-existant due to socialized education. Latin-America is being drawn together by the past work of Che and his followers. It is a shame Mexico does not embrace this new Latin-American alliance, but they rather continue to be exploited by the US government.
62199837prek paying parent said on Tuesday, Mar 8 at 2:17 AM
for jt and cg..the only option english speaking kids have to enroll in prek is at a daycare..if they want a head start they only have day care to go..its not just a babysitting facility.the point is why should only the parents of spanish speaking kids have the option of getting a free education when we all pay taxes.Have you checked the cost of prek daycare lately..full time will run at least $500/month..not including school fees.alot of people cant afford that even with a full time job.and its the child that suffers.or if the parent works extra to afford it then the child suffers time with the parent working extra jobs out of the house.
62198311Mari sifuentes said on Monday, Mar 7 at 11:36 PM
Sorry misspelled buri should be but I
62192731Mari sifuentes said on Monday, Mar 7 at 11:34 PM
Teach our children English if they are here in the united states of America they want to learn English and Spanish as a second language and I'm not rich buri was a single mother working 40 hrs a week and with 3 kids but I still paid for daycare and insurance because my children new English they didn't go to pre k so if I could do it everyone can
62192676Anonymous said on Monday, Mar 7 at 3:46 PM
The requirement should have been reverse, the child should be made to learn ENGLISH!
62161007JT said on Monday, Mar 7 at 1:26 PM
Did anyone pay any attention to the comments made by the TSTA members? "They will have to pay out of their own pockets." What about, "They will have to work to pay for these programs"? The mentality!! DAME, DAME, DAME! I've got news for you. The state of Texas is not responsible for the early childhood education of children, just as it is not responsible for their health care. Parents are responsible to provide for their children.
62150121op said on Monday, Mar 7 at 1:02 PM
The author of this article skipped pre-kinder and most of grammar school. What a mess!
62148466cg said on Monday, Mar 7 at 12:41 PM
True that true that. What many of these parents fail to realize is that school is not a day care center. So if its day care services they need then they will have to pay for it by putting their children in a day care.
62147011UPSET PARENT said on Monday, Mar 7 at 11:53 AM
I SAY WHY NOT HAVE THOSE SPANISH SPEAKING PARENTS GO OUT THERE AND DO THE RALLY ANYWAY IS TO THIER BENEFIT. WHY WOULD WE GO OUT AND DO THE RALLY IF OUR CHILDREN WONT EVEN GET AFFECTED.
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